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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 



OF 



Gen. Pat Cleburne 



AND 



Gen. T. C. Hindman 

TOGETHER WITH 

HUMOROUS ANEODOTES AND REMINISOENOES 
OF THE LATE OIVIL WAE. 



By Chari.es Edward^ash, M. D., 

Little Rock, Arif. 



DEDICATED TO 
THE CONFEDERATE VETERANS AND THEIR CHILDREN. 



LITTLE ROCK, ARK.: 
TUNNAH & PiTTARD, PRINTERS. 

1898. 



i R ^ Q ^'l 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1898, 
Bv C. E. NASH, 

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



(1 



V '^-v 



INTRODUCTORY 



'THE history of a people is the history of the 
lives and actions of its individuals, of 
which biography presents the best portrayal. 

During the civil war Arkansas had many 
men who distinguished themselves as military 
leaders; and no state, north or south, brought 
to the field, in rank and file, braver or truer 
soldiers. The military career of these leaders 
and soldiers has gone into public history, and 
has thus passed down to future ages to tell of 
Arkansas and her people. 

Among the distinguished generals from this 
state which that war developed and made 
famous, no names are more conspicuous than 
those of T. C. Hindman and Pat Cleburne. 

So it is that when men become famous in 
the world's history we seek knowledge of what 
manner of men they were, from infancy to 
old age. 

Dr. C. E. Nasb, who was intimately ac- 
quainted with both Hindman and Cleburne in 
private life, before their " silent tents were 



4 Introductory. 

spread on fame's eternal camping ground," 
who was tlie relative, b}' marriage, of Hind 
man, and the business partner of Cleburne, 
and the fellow townsman of both, has under- 
taken, and well performed, the task of wresting 
from oblivion the history of their early private 
lives, and in his plain and clear style has told 
their story as he knew it, mingling it with 
man}^ racy anecdotes, full of humor, and often 
of touching pathos. 

Dr. Nash deserves and will receive the lib- 
eral patronage and thanks of the people of 
Arkansas, of the old soldiers who followed 
these heroes into the jaws of death, and their 
descendants as well. 

I commend this work of my old classmate, 
performed after he has completed his three 
score and ten years, beyond which he has 
gone, by reason of strength, and though noth- 
ing is promised but labor and sorrow there- 
after, I am happy to know that he still enjoys 
the confidence of patrons, and is still in active 
practice of his profession, and, like Dr. Oliver 
Wendell Holmes did in his lifetime, uses his 
pen in his leisure hours to amuse and instruct 
his fellow men. Sam W. Williams. 



PREFACE 

TF I have frequently interpolated notes which 
have a reference to preceding subjects, I 
may be excused by my reader, as I had to 
rely on my memory, which covers a period of 
nearly half a century. I have no apology to 
make for the appearance of my book; nor 
would I have for its disappearance. I am 
not writing for fame or fortune, but simply to 
fill in the time of my leisure moments with an 
agreeable pastime. If I have made errors, I 
am but mortal. If mistakes — all men are 
liable to them. The sole object of the book is 
to amuse and improve my fellow man. If it is 
not intensely " bookish," and consists of some 
irregularities, I may be pardoned on account 
of my being engaged in the active practice of 
medicine, and parts of it were written when 
driving in my buggy to see a patient far dis- 
tant in the country, or at other times when the 
midnight bell warned all of the hour for retire- 
ment; other parts when confined to my bed, 
suffering intensely from an injury occasioned 



6 Preface, 

by a fall from a two story building. It would 
never have made its appearance in book form 
had it not been for my intelligent wife collect- 
ing all the pieces of manuscript and putting 
them together by exercising great patience and 
forbearance with the author. I have made no 
attempt at a display of literature, nor has any 
of my contributors ; telling our story in simple, 
plain language, to the comprehension of all. 

Respectfully, 

Charles Edward Nash, M. D. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 



OF 



Gei Pa! Mim anl Gbl T. C. Hiiiiii. 



HEN. PATRICK RONAYNE CLEBURNE 
was born near the flourishing city of Cork, 
Ireland. He landed in America in 1849, and, 
after a short visit to his brother in New York 
City, went to Cincinnati and remained with his 
sister until the early spring of 1850, when he 
became a citizen of Helena. While in Cincin- 
nati he was a frequent visitor at the drug store 
of Salter, who was his particular friend. His 
coming to Helena may be described in the fol- 
lowing manner : 

Grant and Nash had formed a partnership in 
the practice of medicine in January, 1850, and 
that year bought out the firm of Lott & Free- 
man, druggists. As Mr. A. J. Lott wished to 
study medicine he would not agree to stay in 
the store as a clerk, but said he would remain 
until we could procure a competent man. Mr. 



8 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Freeman wished to move to Cincinnati, his 
former home. Grant & Nash deputized him to 
get a clerk from some reliable house. On his 
arrival in Cincinnati he lost no time in trying to 
fill his commission, and after several unsuccess- 
ful trials, went to Salter's drug store. Salter 
told Freeman that he thought he could find a 
man that would suit, if he would be willing to go 
south. Remarking that he was a young Irish- 
man full of vigor and ambition, well qualified, 
and of a good moral character ; that he was 
looking for a clerkship in a drug store, and that 
he would see him the next day and talk with 
him upon the subject. This he did and Cle- 
burne decided to accept the position. 

His arrival in Helena was about the first of 
April, 1850. Dr. Nash met him on his arrival 
and escorted him to the drug store. Cleburne 
handed him a letter of introduction from Mr. N. 
S. Freeman, who wrote in complimentary terms 
of his ability and character as received from 
Mr. Salter. I told Mr. Cleburne that Dr. Grant 
was at breakfast and would not be at the store 
for an hour or so. In the meantime I proposed 
that he should go with me to breakfast, at 
Fadley's Hotel, where I was boarding. He ac- 



Pat Cleburne and 7\ C, IIi?zdma?i. 9 

cepted the invitation. After breakfasting we 
went to the store and found Grant and Lott 
awaiting our arrival, as they had heard through 
our apprenticed clerk (Jos. Maxey) that a gen- 
tleman had arrived wanting a position. Grant 
and I made known to him that we wished a 
competent prescriptionist, and also one to take 
entire charge of the business, as neither of us 
had time to attend to it. 

Cleburne replied that he thought he could do 
it, but that he did not wish to assume the en- 
tire responsibility, as he had but a limited ex- 
perience in financial matters, but that he was 
willing to take the position on trial for a month, 
and then we could decide for ourselves. 

Grant asked him what salary he desired. 
Cleburne replied, "I will leave it to you." 
Grant, being senior partner, closed the agree- 
ment by giving him his board and such com- 
pensation as might be agreed upon by the firm. 
Lott remained awhile until he could induct liim 
into the general business of bookkeeping and 
ordering. Lott then left the store and entered 
the ofiice of Dr. Nash to prosecute his studies 
in medicine and prepare himself for the medical 
lectures in the fall. 



lo Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Cleburne entered upon Ills duties with marked 
ability and precision, putting tlie store in an 
attractive and neat condition, labeling all the 
old bottles anew with fresh gilt edge labels and 
fixing the show case with artistic beauty. His 
outfit consisted of an old trunk, which evidently 
had seen service before it reached the waters of 
the Mississippi. In this trunk were some half 
worn up2)er and under clothing, an old sword, 
and a pair of boxing gloves. I think he only 
had a few dollars. At the end of the month we 
told him we would give him fifty dollars and 
his board, but as he had proven so satisfactory 
would increase his wages as the business im- 
proved. This he said was perfectly agree- 
able to him. * 

This brings us to the first of May. I will 
now address a few lines to the old sword and 
boxing gloves. But before doing so, will intro- 
duce to you the young gentleman from the 
Emerald Isle. 

He was a young man about six feet high, 
twenty-four years of age, weighing about 180 
pounds ; his head covered with dark brown 
hair; his eyes grey, shading into blue, not far 
separated. It is not the fierce eye of the car- 



Pat Cleburne a?id T. C. Hindman. 1 1 

niverous bird, nor yet the tame blue of the 
Saxon, but the mixed eye of the two, showing 
the combination of fierceness with judgment. 
His nose was long and prominent, his cheek 
bones high, his forehead narrow and moderately 
high. His head long and narrow, setting high 
upon his shoulders, neck thin and rather long, 
shoulders wide, covered with thick heavy mus- 
cles. His arms long, breast capacious, hands 
thin and fingers long and tapering, showing that 
he had done but little manual labor. There 
was a beautiful S3^mmetrical fit between the 
upper and lower extremities. Cleburne was 
fond of the sword exercise,'and would frequently 
amuse me with his thrusts at an imaginary 
enemy, but as I knew nothing of the exercise, 
and cared less, he soon gave up the amusement. 
His boxing gloves were after the old English 
style, but as we did not use gloves for boxing 
in Arkansas, preferring the fist (and not using 
them for sport), he soon gave up this (to him) 
interesting sport. Cleburne soon found that 
our bowie knife was far superior to his Damas- 
cus blade in a close engagement, and our hard 
fists more effective than boxing gloves. *"" 



12 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

We now come to the first incident in his early 
life, and this more for amusement than improve- 
ment. In June the farmers bring into tovv^ns 
a large quantity of watermelons. Cleburne 
had never seen a watermelon, and therefore was 
ignorant of its use. One day a wagon drove 
up in front of the store door with a number of 
large melons. Joseph Maxey, the apprenticed 
boy, said to Cleburne, "Buy one and give us a 
treat." Cleburne purchased the melon, then 
turning to Joe asked him how he ate it. Joe, 
full of mischief, saw his chance to take advan- 
tage of Cleburne's ignorance and said to him, 
" You must stew it." Cleburne scoured up his 
brass kettle and made a fire, then cutting up 
the melon, placed it in the vessel. Joe all the 
time looking on with a quizzical countenance, 
expecting the full fruition of a rich joke. Now 
the melon was stewed, what was the next step ? 
Joe says, " Put it into dishes and eat it with a 
spoon." Cleburne procured some dishes and 
spoons from an adjoining neighbor, and clean- 
ing off the counter set them thereon. Joe says, 
" Now let us wait until the doctors come in, and 
give them a treat." In a short time Dr. Grant 
and myself made our appearance. Cleburne 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hind7nan. 13 

says, " Gentlemen, I have a nice treat for you," 
and opening the middle door, invited us in ; Joe 
standing on the outside of the door ready to 
make his exit, as soon as the joke was discov- 
ered. Upon our drawing close to the dishes. 
Grant asked what it was. 

"A watermelon," replied Cleburne. 

Grant says, " Who ever heard of a melon be- 
ing stewed ; you have spoiled a nice melon, 
Cleburne !" 

Cleburne then found that Joe had played a 
joke on him and sprang to the door to catch 
and chastise him, but the bird knew the hunter 
and had fled. Joe practiced many jokes on Cle- 
burne before he learned our American ways. 
But this is sufficient. 

^ But to return to the old sword and gloves. 
Hearing for the first time from a Federal officer 
that Cleburne was accused of being a deserter 
from the English army, I feel it imperative on 
me to give, as well as I can remember, the exact 
words he gave me in regard to his joining the 
English army. He said : " My father was a 
widower, my mother dying when I was small. 
He married the second time, a French lady, and 
as I had a great horror of a stepmother, I ran 



14 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

away from home and joined the army. As 
soon as my father found out where I was, lie 
came and bought me out, and I returned home 
with him. I soon found my stepmother a noble 
companion for my father, and kind and consid- 
erate of her step-children. My father then put 
me in a drug store in Cork, where I learned 
chemistry and pharmacy, and after getting my 
certificate " — which he showed me — " I deter- 
mined to come to the United States." / 

The sequel has been given. Cleburne had a 
natural taste for military affairs, and when the 
civil war broke out it was easy for him to slide 
into his first love. 

But for the sake of argument let me admit 
that he was a deserter from the English army. 
He had taken the oath of allegiance to the 
United States, and swore to protect her flag and 
support her constitution ; therefore he had ab- 
solved himself from all natural and acquired 
rights of the English government, and placed 
himself voluntarily under the protection of his 
adopted country. Cleburne believed he was 
fighting for the old Hag of thirteen stars and 
stripes, and the old constitution it proposed to 
protect. If Cleburne was a deserter, a parallel 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindma7t. 15 

could be drawn between him and Paul Jones, 
whom tlie British claim to this day was a de- 
serter from their navy, though he was but 
fourteen years old w^hen he joined their navy. 
/ Cleburne's voyage across the Atlantic was a 
journey not beset with accidents or adverse 
winds ; it was a voyage over a calm sea to a 
peaceful land of liberty, where the winds blow 
gently and the flowers breathe sweetly. 

Cleburne was one of the most fastidious 
young men I ever knew. When a lady would 
come into the store to purchase an article, he 
would blush up to his eyelashes. I never heard 
Mm make use of a vulgar expression, nor could 
he bear to hear anyone else use bad language. 
While clerking for Grant & Nash, he had 
formed a great attachment for the latter, as he 
was a young man about his age, and a bedfel- 
low and companion of his. 

In 1852 a Mormon priest came to Helena. His 
name was Gay. He was a carpenter, and en- 
gaged as a contractor for building houses. The 
writer gave him a contract for building a cot- 
tage house. Gay obtained permission from the 
sheriff to hold his services in the court house 
every Sabbath evening. The writer went to 



1 6 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

hear one of his harangues, and finding a large 
part of his audience composed of women of the 
ignorant and medium classes, and seeing the im- 
pressions he was making upon their minds to 
turn them to his polygamous doctrine, and 
thereby upset the Christian teachings of the 
sacredness of marriage, went to the sheriff and 
told him that it was an insult to the better 
classes of society, especially the members of the 
church, to permit Gay to hold his services in 
the court house — a house that did not belong 
to him, nor was it at his disposal. To which 
the sheriff replied, "I will look into the matter, 
and if the people do not sanction it, will order 
him to discontinue." This he did, and then or- 
dered Gay not to hold his meetings in the court 
house any longer. 

When Gay found out that I had been instru- 
mental in his removal, he became very angry 
and said, with words not suitable for a preacher, 
''I will get even with you!" Cleburne, 
knowing what I had done, and thoroughly en- 
dorsing my action, was in a condition to be- 
friend me. 

In a few days Gay came to the store, and 
charging the writer with unwarrantable inter- 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindnian, 17 

ference in his affairs, denounced him in severe 
language, which brought on an altercation 
which was about to terminate in blows. Gay 
was standing in front of the counter and Cle- 
burne and I on the opposite side. Gay at- 
tempted to pull a pistol to shoot me, but Cle- 
burne, whose eye was keener than mine, and 
knowing that I was unarmed, jumped over the 
counter and quickly seizing Gay by both shoul- 
ders, kicked him out of the house, saying to 
him, "If you ever come in again I will serve 
you worse." 

This difficulty aroused the citizens of Helena, 
and a mass meeting was called, and resolutions 
to this effect were passed. Mr. Gay was given 
a reasonable time to sell his effects ; that he 
should preach no more Mormonism in the city, 
public or private, and if found in the city after 
a given time, should be treated with a coat of 
tar and feathers, prepared by the ladies and 
applied by the gentlemen. Gay got ready for 
his departure in less time than was allowed,^ 
and after selling his residence to Gen. Tappan 
took his leave of Helena, with his six wives, 
never to return. This was the rise and fall of 
the Mormon empire in Arkansas. You will see 



i8 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

that Cleburne had no personal feeling against 
Oay, and only took the part of a friend 
whose life was about to be sacrificed for the 
good of the people. 

Another instance I will bring in to show his 
fidelity to a friend. The Irish levee men were 
in the habit of coming across the Mississippi 
River and getting on sprees. A gang came over, 
and visiting John Smith's saloon a little too 
often, became furiously intoxicated. Quite a 
number of them had gathered in a room above 
the saloon, and were disorderly. One of them 
was seized with a drunken fit, and as I was the 
nearest doctor, was called. Supposing that a 
little blood drawn from his temples would give 
relief, I proceeded to apply my old fashioned 
cups to one of his temples. Upon seeing the 
blood run, a burly Irishman of tremendous 
strength struck me a blow in the back that 
felled me to the floor. Another man seeing 
what he had done, struck him a blow and he 
fell by my side. Still another, picking me up, 
proceeded to throw me down the steps, crying, 
" The bloody butcher ! he wants to kill him!" 
By this time Cleburne had heard of the affray, 
and as he was only across the street, turned his 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 19 

long, Strong muscles loose and with a few- 
bounds up the steps was at my side. He said 
excitedly, "What's the matter here, doctor?" 
I replied, "No matter at all, only a fresh cut." 
"Where is the man that struck you ? Show him 
to me and I will hurl him down the steps with 
a kick that shall last him to his grave." The 
wound upon the man's head was still bleeding, 
for I had cut a superficial artery. I had to be 
called back to stop the bleeding, but Cleburne 
must go with me. I succeeded in stopping the 
blood, and dressed his head. The men all came 
over the next morning and apologized for their 
rude behavior. 

As I am giving the incidents that occurred in 
the first four years of Cleburne's life in Arkan- 
sas, I will give them in succession up to the 
fall of 1852. 

He had never ridden a horse, but seeing so 
many persons, ladies and gentlemen, indulging 
in this pleasant exercise, concluded he would 
like to learn to ride horseback. 

One fine evening in October, he proposed to 
borrow my horse and fill an engagement he had 
with his friend William Nash, to take a ride 
over the hills. When asked for the horse I told 



20 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

him he could not ride him, that he was a wild 
and unruly animal ; that he ran away with all 
who attempted to straddle him, and that he had 
that day run away with me. 

Cleburne replied, " Doctor, if you don't want 
to lend me your horse say so, but don't say I 




HIS FIRST RIDE. 

cannot ride him." I said, '• Cleburne, you are 
perfectly welcome to him, but before getting on 
let me fix the stirrups for you." His legs be- 
ing much longer than mine, the stirrups needed 
to be lengthened. After seating himself in the 
saddle, I placed his feet in the stirrups, telling 
him not to run his feet far into the stirrups, lest 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 21 

they should get caught in them, and if the horse 
should run away and throw him, he would kick 
him to death. Knowing the horse so well, I did 
not give him my whip. 

Soon Nash made his appearance on one of 
Hargrave's fine spirited horses. Nash knew 
the temper of my horse and knew also that he 
had been a race horse. At that time a large 
lake separated the town from the hills and there 
was only one crossing, and that was an old 
plank bridge that led to the foot of the hill. 
Before getting to this bridge Nash gave his 
horse a stroke with his whip, and the horse 
started in a run. Cleburne's horse took this as 
a banter for a race, and sprang quickly ahead 
of his antagonist. At the first jump Cleburne's 
hat flew off; soon he was across the bridge and 
at the foot of the hill. Cleburne did not wish 
to go over the hill, and leaning forward, catch- 
ing the bridle close to the bit, attempted to 
stop him in this way, but as the horse's mouth 
was hard he did not succeed. As he was al- 
ways composed, the thought occurred to him 
that he would catch him by the nose and turn 
him towards the lake, mire him up, and jump 
off. This he succeeded in doing, which re- 



22 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

suited in his being plunged into the mire up to 
his waist. The horse was as badly mired, but 
both came out unhurt. 

This escapade caused great laughter. Cle- 
burne said in a j oking way : "I can't tell which 
got the best of it, he or I. I shall part com- 
pany with him, he wants his way and I mine. 
I am satisfied to let him have it in the future, 
as I never wish to make a laughing stock of 
myself again." 

Another incident occurring in this year will 
show as much as any I have written, or may 
write, the disposition of the man to always 
help the weak, when he thought they were im- 
posed upon. There was a butcher (Norman by 
name), who kept a shop in the lower end of the 
town. He had raised a bear from a cub to a 
full grown animal. This bear was chained in 
the yard fronting the street. The boys were 
accustomed to tease the bear and make him 
show his tricks. One day a bear hunter with 
his dog was passing that way, and the dog 
wished to attack the bear. The butcher pro- 
tested, as he said the bear was chained and 
could not use himself. The hunter replied, 
" The dog can whip him, though he were loose." 



Pat Cleburne and T'. C. HindiJian. 23 

Norman said, " I will bet you fifty dollars that 
he can't." The bet was taken and the day ap- 
pointed for the fight. Now bruin and collie 
were to test their courage and strength in a 
bloody battle. They were to meet upon a level 
place selected on the hill. A large concourse 
of people — men and boys, not women — assem- 
bled to see the fight. The bear was led to the 
contest by a long chain, the dog was free, trot- 
ting by the side of his master. A ring was 
then formed by the spectators ; beyond the 
chain they were not to pass. The bear was led 
in and turned loose. The hunter then entered 
with the dog following. These four were all 
that were admitted into the ring. Bruin did 
not at first seem to be offended at his canine 
antagonist, as he had been accustomed to see 
peaceable dogs pass the butcher pen daily. 
The dog, raising his bristles, looked at the bear 
angrily, but evidently did not wish to advance. 
Bat when his master gave the word, " Tige take 
him !" he flew at the bear with the ferocity of a 
Comanche Indian. The bear raised upon his 
hind legs and embraced the dog with one of his 
friendly hugs. The dog attempted to seize the 
bear by the throat, but as the chain had ren- 



24 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

dered this part of his anatomy sensitive, he ob- 
jected to wearing a necklace of dog's teeth 
around it. He gathered the dog in his power- 
ful arms and gave him one of his welcome em- 
braces, reversing matters and applying his teeth 
to the dog's neck. The hunter seeing that his 
dog was about to be killed, jumped forward 
and caught the bear by his hind feet to turn 
him on his back and break his hold. At 
this the butcher struck the hunter a blow 
under the ear, which sent him whirling to the 
ground. Then several of the spectators jumped 
into the ring and struck the butcher in the face, 
drawing blood freely. 

Cleburne seeing that the butcher was over- 
powered, sprang into the ring and jumped be- 
tween them, exclaiming, '' The first man that 
strikes him another blow I will make him bite 
the dust !" The men, knowing Cleburne's firm- 
ness, dispersed, and the fight was over. The 
dog got the worst of it, being badly bi tten about 
the head and neck. The butcher did not claim 
the bet, as he said it was not fair. The specta- 
tors were fined for witnessing this fight, as it 
was contrary to law. 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Uindman. 25 

In giving a history of one's life we should 
give the bad traits as well as the good. Mr. 
Cleburne was what we would call a temperate 
man ; he was not accustomed to indulge in in- 
toxicating drinks, but, like other young men, 
was sometimes led into improprieties against 
his better judgment. He was very fond of a 
game of chess, and organized a chess club, to 
which he was elected president. This club met 
one night in the rear room of the drug store, 
and as several of the young gentlemen were 
accustomed to indulge too freely on such occa- 
sions, they prevailed on Cleburne to give them a 
treat out of some old Cognac brandy that was 
in the store. It was but a short time before 
they became intoxicated, Cleburne among the 
rest. Instead of making Cleburne jovial it 
made him angry, and, as he said, crazy. 

On going to the store next morning, I found 
Cleburne in bed. I asked him what was the 
matter, and if he was sick. '' No," said he. 
Pointing to his wardrobe, he said, "Look there." 
I saw that the doors were stuck all over with 
glass. He said, '' I was drunk last night and 
bit a piece out of a glass, then throwing glasses 
at the wardrobe, stuck it all over as you see." 



26 Biographical Sketches of Geiterals 

I remarked, " Why, Cleburne, who ever heard 
of your being drunk !" I was surprised. 

In a short time a customer came into the store 
and asked for some Spanish brown to clay her 
hearth with. I looked in the drawers to find 
the article, but could not do so. I went to Cle- 
burne and asked him where he kept the article. 
He replied, " In the drawers." I said I could 
not find it. He replied, " Look again." Ke- 
turning, I said I could not find it. He said^ 
" Look again." Knowing that I had searched 
every drawer and could find nothing of the kind^ 
I replied in an angry manner, with an oath, 
'' You get up and get it yourself, sir !" He re- 
plied, in as angry a tone, saying : " I will hold 
you responsible for the insult. Go and prepare 
yourself and I will meet you anywhere." I 
walked out of the store and was going down to 
Dr. Hector Grant's house to get one of his pis- 
tols, when I met Grant on the street and in- 
formed him what had taken place, and what I 
wished. He said : " You and Cleburne are not 
going to fight, sir. The idea of two such 
friends falling out for such a trifling matter is 
ridiculous. I'll fix it up." He went to the 
store and found Cleburne in bed, the eflects of 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hind man. 27 

the whiskey not yet worn off. Cleburne 
rehearsed the conversation that took place 
between us, and added : " I thought he 
knew I had been selling red lead for Spanish 
brown, as thej^ were used for the same purpose. 
I did not want the customer to know it." Grant 
said, "I don't think he knows anything of 
the kind." Cleburne replied, " Whether he did 
or not, he had no right to curse me, and I will 
not take it, though he is the best friend I have 
on earth." Grant replied : " If he says he did 
not know it, will you take back the chal- 
lenge? You know you must not, no you 
shall not fight." Cleburne said, "I will make 
the apology, if he says he did not know it." 
We met in the store in the presence of Grant 
and exchanged apologies. We shook hands 
with tears in our eyes, for Cleburne's heart was 
tender as well as brave, and we pledged our 
friendship anew. This bond was never broken, 
as will be seen in the sequel. This took place 
in 1851, when he was the clerk of Grant & Nash. 
Cleburne had a great fondness for children. 
While he was boarding with Dr. Grant he be- 
came very fond of his little daughter Mary, and 
petted her a great deal. This little girl, noted 



28 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

for her beauty and simplicity of manner, with 
a genial, good disposition, was taken ill in the 
fall of 1851 ; her illness lasted many days and 
proved fatal. Cleburne watched by her bed- 
side night after night, until the dread messen- 
ger came and took her to her home in heaven. 
He wrote a beautiful epitaph, which was placed 
on her tombstone. This was the first evidence 
Cleburne gave of his literary taste. It grad- 
ually developed, until he became a literary 
man. He was a great reader and memorized 
well ; fond of poetry, biography and history, 
giving preference to English literature. He 
was very fond of Roman and Grecian history. 
He read Plutarch's lives over many times. I 
have the old volume he read in my library. It 
shows that it is badly worn, but well read. On 
military affairs Wellington was his model, and 
he would become excited whenever he heard 
Napoleon Bonaparte eulogized. As Napoleon 
had many admirers in Helena, Cleburne was 
often annoyed, Judge T. B. Hanley being one 
of the chief sources of irritation. 

Cleburne was made a Mason in Lafayette 
Lodge No. 16, in 1852. The Masonic Hall was 
a small room above Wm. Bevin's printing 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 39 

oflSice. There were no chequered carpets upon 
the floor, only rough planed boards. The seats 
were plank benches and a large goods box with 
a clean white covering served for the altar, a 
smaller box with a gavel thereon and a split 
bottom chair served for the Oriental chair. 
This chair was then occupied by Wm. C. Myr- 
tle, who presided over a handful of as devoted 
and intelligent Masons as ever pronounced 
" Shibboleth." H. M. Grant was S. W., and A. 
J. Lott, Jr. Warden. It was here that the Mas- 
ter's Degree was conferred on the hero of our 
story. In 1853 Cleburne was elected Master. 
He never missed a meeting, was faithful to the 
trust imposed upon him, and spent much time 
in making himself proficient in the two lower 
degrees. He conferred these degrees upon ap- 
plicants with as much precision as older and 
more experienced Masters. He presided with 
honor and dignity, preserving perfect order and 
commanding close attention. 

In this year, while he was Master, the ques- 
tion of subordinate lodges paying a regular 
stipend for the support of St. John's College 
came up. Cleburne, with many leading Ma- 
sons, such as Hanley, Tappan. H. P. Coolidge, 



30 Biographical Sketches of Genei'ah 

Wm. F. Moore, Chas. W. Adams, Henry L. 
Biscoe, Royal F. Sutton, Wm. C. Myrtle and 
Tlios. R. Welch, took a firm stand against the 
constitutionality of the decree issued by the 
Grand Lodge. This rebellion against the de- 
cree of what was the highest Masonic law, pro- 
duced quite an opposition to Lafayette Lodge 
No. 16, and her charter was taken away and 
her jewels returned to the Grand Lodge. This 
lodge took the first action, but was soon fol- 
lowed by other lodges in the state. Lafayette 
Lodge was under suspension when the civil war 
broke out, and as there were a number of its 
members who wished to have the protection 
Masonry affords in time of distress, petitioned 
to the Grand Lodges of the states they were in 
to affiliate them. The Grand Masters of the 
states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama 
made the following reply: " You are compe- 
tent to join any lodge in the state; also to visit 
all lodges anywhere in the world, as you can 
take the test oath. You were not suspended 
for any unmasonic conduct." The Grand 
Lodge of Alabama also said that Masonic 
lodges had no right to build college edifices and 
endow them under Masonic law. Whether this 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. IIind??tan. 31 

decision was made to fit the occasion, or was 
one of the fundamental principles of Masonry, 
the writer is not competent to answer. 

In 1853, Cleburne, H. M. Grant and C. E. 
Nash formed a class and took the sublime de- 
gree of Royal Arch Mason. This degree was 
conferred upon us by our great poet, lawyer, 
statesman and Mason, Albert Pike. Out of this 
class, with others, a chapter was formed, named 
Helena Chapter. It was in good working order 
until the suspension spoken of. This little 
lodge, No. 16, had grown by gradual develop- 
ment from a few charter members to the huge 
proportions of one hundred and fifty-two mem- 
bers, and from the small, illy furnished rooms 
to the handsomest building in the city. A 
building, at a cost of six thousand dollars, 
was erected on one of the beautiful lots in the 
center of the city, with all modern improve- 
ments and expensive parapharnalia thereto be- 
longing. Nearly all the respectable male 
members of the town, and many from the coun- 
try, belonged to this lodge. Some who became 
prominent in the aff*airs of state we will men- 
tion : Thos. B. Hanley, Jas. C. Tappan, Charles 
W. Adams, and others. This lodge had a 



32 Biograj^hical Sketches of Generals 

greater amount of talent than any other lodge 
in the state, according to its members, not ex- 
cepting the lodges of Little Rock that were led 
by those noble chieftains of Masonry, Elbert 
English, Albert Pike, Luke E. Barber, John E. 
Reardon, Sam W. Williams, Thomas E. Mer- 
rick, and others. This magnificent Masonic 
hall was built by shares of one hundred dollars 
each. Nash and Cleburne took ten shares^ 
which gave them the controlling interest in the 
building. They afterwards bought out all of 
the shares and owned the building. When 
they dissolved partnership, Cleburne bought 
Nash's interest and became sole owner. But 
as the lodge was suspended, no meetings were 
held up to the time of its destruction by the 
Federal army. It was an entire loss to Cle- 
burne, as there was no insurance on the prop- 
erty. The records and jewelry, with its consti- 
tution and by-laws, were left in the archives of 
the lodge. The Grand Lodge did not remove 
them, and they were all destroyed at the time 
the building was burned, leaving Lafayette 
Lodge No. 189, w^hich was established in lieu 
of the old No. 16, without any record of its 
former greatness and influence in Masonry. 



Pat Clebzirne and T. C. UtJidman. 33 

The lodges of Austin and Friar's Point, Miss., 
were in the habit of joining together in the 
celebration of St. John's day, and a committee 
was appointed from each lodge to hold a con- 
vention and select an orator for the occasion. 
Great interest was taken in these celebrations 
in those days, and the best orators were 
selected. At this conference in 1853, the names 
of three gentlemen were put in nomination — 
Gen. A. L. Alcorn of Friar's Point, Dr. Wm. 
Brown, the noted orator of Mississippi in his 
day, and Mr. Patrick R. Cleburne. After sev- 
eral ballots Cleburne received the honor. This 
was quite a compliment to the rising young 
man. 

On the 24th of Jane the largest Masonic pro- 
cession ever held by these three lodges met in 
Helena to partake of a splendid banquet pre- 
pared by the ladies, and to hear the then un- 
known orator. This was his maiden speech. 
Cleburne acquitted himself handsomely to the 
satisfaction of all, receiving compliments in 
their toasts from his two competitors. What 
I remember of Cleburne's Masonic address is 
but a few lines, but I will give them. He said : 



34- Biographical Sketches of Geiierals 

" I am proud that our order reaches above all 
contending parties in our land; that its mem- 
bers are free and untrammelled in all that lies 
between their God and themselves. We are 
glad that it meddles not with any duty which 
we of conscience owe to our Maker or to our 
country; and now may the camp fires which 
have increased so much in brilliancy, be re- 
kindled in great strengtli, to the end that their 
lives may lead the world to study our motto, 
' Brotherly love, friendship, charity and truth,' 
and may the principles of our order forever 
prevail." 

If the following lines had been written and 
fallen under his eye, doubtless he would have 
quoted them : 

We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breath; 
In feelings, not in figures on the dial! 
We would count time bj heart throbs when they beat, 
For Man, for God, for Duty. 

He most lives 

Who thinks most, 

Feels the noblest. 

Acts the best. 

^ Gen. Cleburne was a sterling type of the very 
best manhood, intelligence and public spirit, 
that the South developed. Cleburne was a del- 
egate to the Grand Lodge at several of its meet- 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hind^nan. 35 

ings. There is nothing to note in his Masonic 
character except that fidelity and perseverance 
which was the rule of his life. ^ 

When Cleburne arrived in Helena in 1850, 
the Rev. Mr. Haggett, an Episcopal minister, 
had charge of a missionary church. The con- 
gregation was small, consisting of a few gentle- 
men and ladies, respectable and influential 
members of society. Cleburne attended this 
church for a while, but never joined it ; he was 
not a communicant, nor was he at any time a 
vestryman in that church. He had been bap- 
tized and educated in the Episcopal faith, his 
father being a vestryman in his church at Cork, 
Ireland. His stepmother, a devoted and active 
member of that church, and to whom he at- 
tributed his religious training, of course gave 
his young mind a bias towards that mode of 
worship, which he so much loved and admired, 
but he was a broad gauged man in his religious 
views, saying every man was entitled to his re- 
ligious opinion. I never knew him to get into 
a discussion with any one about his religion, 
though he was a firm believer in the doctrines 
of the Episcopal church. As the Roman Cath- 
olics have claimed him in public print, I think 



36 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

this rebuttal necessary here. The reader will 

excuse the episode. 

Mr. Haggett held his services in an old store 
house in the lower part of the town. It was an 
humble temple indeed, but its members, though 
few in number, were active and devotional. 
Mr. Haggett had an interesting family. His 
two daughters were considered the handsomest 
girls in Helena, highly accomplished and very 
attractive. Cleburne was in the habit of visit- 
ing these young ladies and was pleased with 
their society. Mr. Haggett was strictly a high 
churchman, and this did not accord with Cle- 
burne's broad gauge notions of religion, there- 
fore he did not go often to hear him preach. 

The Roman Catholics say, " Who ever heard 
an of Irishman named Pat, who was not a Roman 
Catholic ?" Well, as there are exceptions to all 
rules, this is one. 

In 1853, Thomas R. Welch, a Presbyterian 
licentiate, was sent to Helena to preach as a 
missionary. The same year he was installed 
and was called to the church at Helena, where he 
had given so much satisfaction as a minister. 
Welch was a young man of fine ability, and 
very aff'able in his manners, drawing young 



Pat Cleburne and 7^. C. Hindynan. 37 

men closely around him and making personal 
friends of them. The same year he joined the 
Masons, while Cleburne was Master. From 
this date an intimate relationship existed be- 
tween them, and Cleburne oftener went to hear 
him preach than any one else. Welch was 
made chaplain of his lodge, and this fraternal 
connection with the young men of the order 
gave him an influence no other young preacher 
possessed at that time. Cleburne always se- 
lected the best material for his associates, and 
in this way became quite a magnet at drawing 
the best and most representative men in the 
community to him. This little Episcopal 
church has gradually developed until now it is 
erecting one of the most beautiful and attrac- 
tive church edifices in the City of Helena. It 
was not surprising that two young men of such 
marked religious training, and both ambitious 
of rising in literary pursuits, should become 
such staunch friends. Cleburne always paid 
the highest regard to the opinions of the aged, 
and would not dispute with them, however 
much he might differ in opinion, saying this 
was a lesson his father taught him. I never 
heard him swear an oath, though I have heard 



38 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

that after he entered the army he occasionally 
indulged in profanity. 

In 1852 the writer was married to Miss Mary 
Frances Epps, of North Carolina, a sister-in-law 
of Dr. Hector M. Grant. During his courtship 
Cleburne was his best friend, smoothing over 
many rough places in Cupid's path — " true love 
never runs smooth." After this marriage Cle- 
burne commenced boarding in my family, and 
made himself one of the family. At this time 
he was the clerk of Grant & Nash. He insisted 
upon having his breakfast at daylight, that he 
might get to the store and open it before any- 
one had their stores open. 

Cleburne was a very bashful young man. 
My wife could never get him in the parlor when 
young ladies were visiting us. Misses Maggie 
Tollison and Annie Broadnax, from Cat Island, 
were frequent visitors, and Cleburne had to 
meet them at the dinner table. For a while he 
blushed if one of them spoke to him, but Miss 
Maggie, by her grace and easy manners, was 
not long in getting him to engage in conversa- 
tion, and by her winning ways and charming 
appearance, soon secured him as her escort. 
This brought on a friendly feeling between 



Pat Cleburne a7id T. C. Hindman. 39 

them. Whether it ripened into more than 
friendship, the writer is unable to say, but, 
judging from the subsequent actions of both, 
suspicioned that a little love was mixed up in 
the aftair. Cleburne at first was extremely 
awkward and ill at ease in ladies' company. 

At a little social we gave to these young la- 
dies, Cleburne attempted to dance, but as he 
did not know a figure he balked the dancers sev- 
eral times. This mortified him, and he refused 
to dance another set. I was as much mortified 
as he was when I heard the girls laugh and call 
him the raw, gawky young Irishman. I per 
suaded Cleburne to take dancing lessons from 
a teacher just down from Memphis. He learned 
rapidly and danced gracefully ; then all the 
girls wanted him for a partner. 

While Cleburne was brave and fearless, he 
had a tender, sympathetic feeling, as shown in 
his love for children, particularly little girls. ' 
He loved Dr. Grant's and my little Mary as he 
would have done were thej^ his two little sisters. 

We now pass from the pathetic to the tragic. 
In the year 1854, James T. Crary, a lawyer and 
an orator, who had passed through the exciting 
canvass of Jas. K. Polk and Dallas, and who 



40 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

had taken the stump in his native state (Tennes- 
see) for them, came to Helena, and early making 
the acquaintance and securing the friendship of 
Cleburne, could rely on him in cases of diffi- 
culty. Cleburne was then a whig and Crary a 
a democrat, so this was not a political affair, 
but purely personal. Crary was a young man, 
full of dash and self confidence, rather austere 
in looks, but conservative in speech. Cleburne 
formed an early attachment for him, and it be- 
came mutual. 

Mr. Hoggett Clopton was a young gentleman, 
the son of a very rich and respectable planter, 
who lived a short distance from Helena. 
Young Clopton was just from school, a graduate 
with honor, and full of himself. Of his per- 
sonal appearance he might have been proud, as 
he was considered the handsomest man in the 
country. He was six feet high, spare made, 
long of arm and length of limb, his features 
fine cut and well shaped. He was a great beau 
with the girls. His small head was covered 
with a coat of sleek black hair, which he 
trained with good taste. He was of dark com- 
plexion, with a haughty, self sufficient air. 
This young man came into town one day riding 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindinan. 41 

one of his father's fine Virginia horses. The 
horse was as vain as his rider. Hitching his 
steed at the rack in front of Fadley's Hotel, 
and hearing the dinner bell ring, he proceeded to 
the dining room to get his dinner. Soon after 
Olopton was seated Crarv came in. Crary had 
a special seat at this table, which Clopton took. 
After seating himself Crary said to the 
stranger, "You have taken my chair!" Clop- 
ton replied: "I didn't know you had a pre- 
emption on this chair. Are you the landlord, 
or who are you ?" Crary replied, " I will show 
you who I am," at the same time seizing a 
tumbler and throwing it at Clopton's head, 
striking him on the forehead and inflicting a 
wound which bled freely, spoiling his beautiful 
suit of hair. Clopton, drawing his fine silk 
handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his 
face, said, " I will see you later." 

Nothing more was said or done until a few 
days after, when Clopton in company with his 
father. Major John Clopton, and his uncle-in- 
law, Dr. Gray, came into town. Hoggett Clop- 
ton sent word to Crary to arm himself and come 
down on the street. 



42 Biografhical Sketches of Ge?ierals 

At this time Crary was occupying an upper 
room above Licurgus Cage's drug store. Crary 
sent a messenger to Cleburne to come and see 
him. They had an interview in my presence, 
as I was chosen by Crary to be his surgeon on 
this occasion. The conversation, as I recollect 
it, ran in this way : " Cleburne, I want you to 
stand by me in this difficulty and see that I 
have fair play." Cleburne replied : '* I have 
no fear in that direction, as your antagonists 
are brave and generous. However, in a street 
fight there may be some who are alwaj^s offi- 
cious on such occasions ; I will go and arm my- 
self and be ready for an emergency." 

Clopton, with his two relatives, was waiting 
at the foot of the steps for Crary to come down. 
Soon Crary made his appearance, when the fir- 
ing began. Crary, from his derringer, fired the 
first shot, but missed the mark. Crary threw 
down that derringer and drawing another fired 
his second shot, that like the first missed ita 
mark. Clopton replied with another discharge 
from his gun, but also missed his man. At this 
Crary thought he would try a better weapon, 
and drawing his long bowie knife advanced to- 
wards Clopton with fire in his eye and vengeance 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 43 

in his breast. Clopton seeing that this formid 
able weapon was ont of proportion to his six 
shooter, retreated backwards a step with his 
face fronting his antagonist, lired again, still 
missing his aim. Crary made another ferocious 
lunge, keeping his eye on Clop ton's linger and 
dodging his bullets. This firing and retreating 
was kept up from the old court house to Ball's 
saloon on Diagonal street, when Clopton's 
fifth shot took eff*ect inCrary's arm, paralyzing 
it so that his knife fell from its grasp. The flow 
of blood and the exercise so weakened Crary 
that he fell. Clopton had one remaining shot, 
and when told by some outsider to shoot him 
again, replied, " I will not hurt him any 



more." 



Crary was taken up to his room and the 
wound dressed by his surgeon. This proved to 
be a dangerous wound, as traumatic erysipelas 
intervened, but the arm was saved. Cleburne 
was friendly with all the parties, none of them 
entertaining any ill feeling for him in the part 
he took. He was acting in the same capacity 
Clopton's two relatives were. This is another 
instance of his true friendship. Clopton and 
Crary became reconciled and remained friends 



44 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

up to the time of Crary's death by drowning, 

of which I will now give a description. 

One beautiful May evening, when the wind 
was gently blowing northward, Crary came by 
the store and asked Cleburne to go sailing with 
him. This was an amusement often indulged 
in by both sexes. So popular had it become 
that Mr. Can. Underwood kept a number of sail 
boats for the accommodation of the people. 
Some of these boats were elegantly furnished 
with cushioned seats and pretty white flying 
sails. Crary rented one of the best of them for 
an evening's ride. 

Crary and Cleburne entered the boat, and 
after trimming her sails, set out on their jour- 
ney. The vessel smoothly moved up the river 
in a graceful ship like manner. Cleburne sat 
on the hinder seat and steered the boat, while 
Crary managed the sails. They headed her to- 
wards Island No. 60, which is about three miles 
up the river from Helena. At this season of 
the year it is covered with dewberries. Num- 
bers visited this island to gather the fruit. 

They arrived at the island after a pleasant 
voyage. After strolling over the island and 
gathering all the berries they wished, they set 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindma7t. 45 

sail for home. As their voyage must be down 
stream, the sails must be shifted to accommo- 
date the current. When the wind is blowing 
up stream the waves of the Mississippi river 
run high, and such was the case in this instance. 
After leaving the island a short distance, they 
observed three persons standing on the Missis- 
sippi shore, who waved at them to come and 
take them aboard. This they did. One was the 
mail boy, another a citizen, and the third the 
famous butcher, Norman, whom Cleburne had 
so bravely defended at the bear fight. After 
taking them in the vessel's prow was turned 
down stream. By this time the waves were 
running unusually high. As Cleburne was ac- 
customed to sailing on the briny deep, they 
feared no evil. No accident had happened un- 
til they were nearing the wharf boat. At this 
time the large and magnificent steamer Robert 
J. Ward, Capt. Silas W. Miller commanding, 
left the wharf and throwing her immense body 
in front. of the small craft took the wind out of 
her sails. The skiff drifted under the Ward 
and threw them out. The butcher and the citi- 
zen caught on to the paddles of the wheels and 
were saved, while the mail boy, Cleburne and 



46 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Crary attempted to save their lives by swim- 
ming. The mail boy soon went down under 
the surging billows, while Cleburne and Crary 
swam for life. Crary rode the waves for some 
time and then he went down, but before doing 
so cried to Cleburne, " Goodbye, Cleburne, I 
am gone !" and he sank to rise no more. 

Cleburne struggled maiifally with the waves 
and strong down current until assistance could | 
reach him. This was done by several persons 
forming a line and catching each other by the 
hand; the foremost, an expert swimmer and 
stout man, carried a line in his mouth, while 
the others held it. Cleburne caught the line 
and was pulled to shore, so exhausted that he 
could not stand. Cleburne's matchless strength 
and strong will power kept him afloat until as- 
sistance reached him. 

One of the most remarkable incidents in the 
history of Helena is that there was not a water 
craft of any kind at the wharf. Cleburne could 
never recur to this scene without the deepest 
emotion. Crary 's body was not recovered for 
several days, and then one hundred miles below 
Helena, near Arkansas City. Clopton was one 
of the pall bearers at Crary -s funeral. This 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindinan. 47 

was a tragic ending of an innocent amusement. 

In 1854 Dr. Grant wished to sell his interest 
in the drug store, and proposed to Nash to buy 
him out. But as I had no time to devote to the 
store I rejected the proposition. I communi- 
cated the doctor's wish to Cleburne, who said, 
"I am sorry he is going to leave us." I then 
said to Cleburne, " You buy him out." He re- 
plied: "I am not able. I have only a few 
hundred dollars to my credit." I said, " If you 
will purchase, I will make you able." He con- 
sented to do so, and the firm was changed to 
Nash & Cleburne — not Grant & Cleburne, as 
has appeared in Mangum's meagre biographical 
description of his life. This firm continued up 
to the time (1856) when Cleburne proposed to 
study law. It was then sold to Lindsley Bros. 

Mr. Hallum, in his " Biographical and Picto- 
rial History of Arkansas," in writing of Judge 
Adams, makes use of the following language : 

" The celebrated Martha Washington cases 
were tried before him at Helena in 1854, and 
attracted much attention throughout the United 
States. Martha Washington was the name of 
a Mississippi steamer, and it was alleged that 
the owners loaded her with dummy freight and 



48 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

burned her within the jurisdiction of the cir- 
cuit court of Phillips county, to defraud the 
insurance companies. Several lives were lost 
on board the burning steamer. Capt. Cum- 
mins and four alleged confederates were in- 
dicted, extradicted from Ohio and New York, 
charged with murder. The defendants were 
admitted to bail. The captain was first upon 
trial. The question of jurisdiction and the 
probative facts connected with the burning of 
the steamer were exhaustively argued by emi- 
nent counsel, including the late E. M. Yerger, 
of Memphis, and General Palmer, of Helena, 
for the defense. The rulings of Judge Adams 
were delivered in the enliglitened spirit of the 
able jurist. The flashy and beautiful wife of 
Capt. Cummins is said to have exerted a pow- 
erful influence on the flexible jury, and her 
husband was acquitted, 'twas said for want of 
that high degree of evidence in delinquencies 
of that grade; but moral conviction of guilt 
was firmly lodged in the public mind." 

The writer has a personal knowledge of this 
trial, as he or Gen. Cleburne was present every 
day while the trial continued. Cummins and 
his alleged coadjutors were defended by the 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 49 

best legal talent 01 Helena and Memphis. 
Judge Brown, the pacing orator, and E. M. 
Yerger, the great jurist of Tennessee, were em- 
ployed by the defense ; also Judge T. B. Hanly, 
John Preston, MacPherson, and John W. 
Palmer. The latter had been the partner of 
Judge Charles W. Adams. The prosecution 
was conducted by a single lawyer, Peter E. 
Bland, of St. Louis, who was uncle to the 
writer, and his guest while the trial continued. 
I heard Judge T. B. Hanly remark after the 
trial that Bland made one of the ablest legal 
arguments to which he ever listened, speaking 
over three hours. 

Capt. Cummins had letters of introduction to 
many of the citizens of Helena, from some of 
the most respectable and influential men of St. 
Louis. These letters came on his first trial, 
and were filled with arguments in favor of his 
innocence ; and spoke of him as an honest, up- 
right man, stating that if the boat was secretly 
burned, Cummins knew nothing about it, at the 
same time expressing a doubt, believing it was 
a put up job by the insurance companies to get 
blackmail money. 



50 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

There was but one witness, as I recollect, for 
tlie prosecution, and that a man (I have for- 
gotten his name) who was in the employ of the 
insurance companies as a detective. His testi- 
mony lasted for several days, and was given in 
that dry, stolid manner which ccnvinced the 
bystanders and the jury that it was a formu- 
lated, well committed, and well recited speech. 
No one could look into that man's face without 
feeling that he was looking into the face of a 
demon, who would betray life for less than 
thirty pieces of silver. Such was the impres- 
sion of Cummin's innocence, that the whole 
town of Helena became interested in him. As 
many as ten of the most respectable men in the 
town went to Arthur Thompson, who was then 
sheriff, and asked him to release Cummins from 
jail, and they would be responsible for his ap- 
pearance at court. Thompson agreed to give 
him his room in the court house and place a 
guard over him, furnish all that was necessary 
for his comfort, and permit his wife to lodge 
with him if she so desired. He was fed by the 
ladies of Helena after their generous and hos- 
pitable style. , 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 51 

At first I was rather prejudiced against Cum- 
mins, hearing my uncle tell his side of the 
story, but when I heard that demon's testimony, 
I remarked to Bland that I believed his witness 
was a fiend. 

No case, except the David Douglass case, ex- 
cited more intense interest than this. Mrs. 
Cummins was an attractive, highly educated, 
and somewhat accomplished woman. She was 
not handsome, nor did she go among the men 
to manufacture influence for her husband. She 
was modest and retiring, exhibiting no more 
feeling than a good wife who loves her husband 
should have done under such trying circum- 
stances ; therefore, she could have no influence 
over a jury of respectable, conscientious men 
such as they were. I think it is a slur that Mr. 
Hallum has cast upon that jury, to say that 
*' the beautiful Mrs. Cummins swayed their 
judgment." 

The first bond was easily made, signed by 
some of the wealthiest men in the county. 
This trial had passad out of my mind, and 
would perhaps never have been recalled had I 
not read Mr. Hallum's version of it. I had no 
interest or personal feeling in the matter, being 



52 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

an entire stranger to all ; having simply that 
feeling of sympathy for those I believed to be 
persecuted and in distress, which feeling I hope 
to retain as long as I live. 

In the year 1855 the small town of Helena, 
at that time containing about 1,500 inhabitants, 
was stricken by the most terrific epidemic of 
yellow fever that had been recorded in the 
annals of medicine up to that date. Isaiah's 
prophecy was literally true in this case. He 
said, "For the time that it goeth forth it shall 
take you, for morning by morning shall it pass 
over you, by day and by night." The fever 
broke out the 5th of September and was ac- 
counted for in this wa}" : A newsboy, William 
Burnett, boarded a steamer from New Orleans, 
to sell his papers. There were a number of 
yellow fever cases on board and several deaths. 
Up to this time there never had been a case of 
the fever in Helena, and therefore no necessity 
for a board of health. No restrictions were 
placed upon boats coming from infected dis- 
tricts. The boy Burnett was the first case. 
Mrs. Burnett's family consisted of her mother 
and four children — two boys and two girls. In 
a short time all were stricken down — three hav- 



Pat Cleburne and T. C, Hindman. 53 

ing the disease in its hemorrhagic form. One, 
a girl of fourteen years, died with black vomit. 
Mrs. Burnett was a poor widow, who supported 
her family by her needle, with what assistance 
her boy William could give her by selling pa- 
pers. Many of the citizens who had boarded 
this boat fell victims to this dreadful fever 
and a large number died. As the people of 
Helena had no apprehension at first of the dis- 
ease spreading, they gave their permission for 
the corpses on the boat to be buried in the city 
cemetery. An unfortunate step, as many cases 
were traced to this source. I will not elaborate 
further on this epidemic, but confine myself to 
the part our hero took as a nurse, and will have 
to link his name with another of Arkansas' 
heroes of the South. 

As soon as the news spread of the advance 
of this fever, all who could get out of town fled 
to the country for safety, leaving only a few to 
take care of the sick and bury the dead. 
Three physicians only remained in the city to 
do the work — Drs. Grant, Nash and Jacks. Dr, 
Grant was stricken down early with the disease, 
and barely escaped with his life. The entire 
medical work rested on the two latter. We 



54 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

could get no volunteer nurses for the sick, as a 
complete panic had struck the citizens. When 
the doctors made known the imperative neces- 
sity for taking care of and nursing the sick, only- 
three came forward and offered their services — 
Cleburne and Hindman and a young Methodist 
preacher, a Mr. Rice. There never will be three 
persons who braved every danger and made 
more personal sacrifices than the three young 
philanthropists named above. They made their 
rounds day and night, doing all the labor of 
women consistent with modesty and decorum. 
They went to the bakery and with their own 
means purchased bread, made tea and soups 
with their own inexperienced hands, and per- 
formed all kinds of menial labor. If in this 
contest one deserved more praise than the other, 
the mantle should fall on the young preacher's 
shoulders. He would take his little pocket 
Bible with him wherever he went, read a chap- 
ter, sing a hymn, and deliver a short prayer^ 
This did not interfere with his other work. He 
discharged his duties as actively as either of 
the others. There is no doubt but many souls 
were saved at the eleventh hour by the spiritual 
comfort he was able to give them. There were 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 55 

no battles in our late war in whicli Arkansas' 
two prominent generals showed more courage 
and self exposure than in this. The conditions 
in the two battles were not exactly parallel. In 
the epidemic God Almighty was leading the 
charge, and man was not fighting against his 
authority, nor to set aside his victory ; simply 
to take care of his sick and wounded prisoners. 
In this instance the air was charged with the 
deadly bullets from a million batteries — yellow 
fever germs. The characters in this drama, 
Cleburne and Hindman, distinguished them- 
selves on bloody battle lields, and their memo- 
ries have gone down in a sheen of glory, but 
the one who deserved the greatest honor mortal 
man can give his name, is left without a record 
and his memory forgotten — the Rev. Mr. Rice. 
But there is a record not kept by man. In this 
record the writer thinks the minister's name 
and deeds occupy an entire page in that spot- 
less book kept by Jesus Christ, the great scribe 
for all humanity. He was a noble young man 
worthy of all honor. It will be seen by this 
that three churches were represented — Cle- 
burne, Episcopalian ; Hindman, Presbyterian, 
and the Rev. Mr. Rice, Methodist. The little 



56 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

newsboy, William Burnett, was trained by a 
devoted Christian mother, who lived to see her 
son rank with the leading journalists of the 
state. 

A little pathos might be brought in here 
without egotism being attributed to the writer. 
After the disease had disappeared (it lasted 
over two months) and all things became quiet, 
Mrs. Burnett entered my office early one morn- 
ing and inquired for her bill, stating at the time 
that she feared that it was so large she could 
never pay it. Upon being told that she had no 
bill, that both doctors and nurses had made the 
poor a free will offering of their services, she 
advanced and clasping my hand, said, with 
tears in her eyes and a choked voice, " God 
bless you, doctor !" Though at that time I was 
not a professing Christian, my heart was so 
moved that I replied, " Mrs. Burnett, this is the 
largest fee I ever received in my life ;" and we 
parted. 

The part that Cleburne and Hindman took as 
nurses made them confidential friends, though 
they differed at that time in politics. From 
this time the two heroes will have to walk side 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 57 

by side, as they are inseparably connected in 
these narratives. 

On the 4th of July, 1854, a barbecue celebra- 
tion of the day, and also a celebration of the 
breaking of the first dirt for the Midland rail- 
road took place at the foot of Crowley's E-idge, 
near the large plantation of Major Richard Da- 
vidson. Major Davidson presided over the 
meeting. The major, though a democrat, did 
not take an active part in politics, which made 
him a suitable chairman, as the celebration was 
both patriotic and personal. Sebastian made 
the Fourth of July oration, and was cheered to 
the echo for the many beautiful expressions of 
patriotic emotion. After dinner Sebastian was 
followed by Mr. Jas. L. Alcorn, not yet major 
or governor. Alcorn, in speaking of the enter- 
prise and liberality of the citizens, let drop a 
word or so for the whigs. Alcorn was invited 
by the whigs to make a speech, as he was then 
considered a leading politician of Mississippi. 
There was no leading democrat on the ground 
to reply to Alcorn. Mr. M. Butt Hewson came 
to me and said he had heard Hindman speak in 
Mississippi, and that he was a fine orator, and 
he insisted that I should call him out. After 



58 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

consultation with the bo3^s, we commenced yell- 
ing, "Hindman!" though none of us had ever 
seen him before. Hindman responded with one 
of his graceful bows, and commenced by saying 
he was a stranger to all, but not a stranger to 
the grand old party when volunteers were called 
upon to defend her honor. His remarks were 
so thrilling and so thrusting that the whigs be- 
gan to show a little restlessness and asked him 
for the authority of his remarks, whereupon he 
read from one of their own papers. He paused 
here, but the democrats cried " Go on !" He 
spoke about two hours. Alcorn said that as it 
was getting late he proposed to adjourn to meet 
at the court house, if this young champion of 
democracy would meet him. Whereupon Hind- 
man said, " I will meet you anywhere and 
debate with you from Monday morning until 
Saturday night." The two champions met at 
the court house that night and made lengthy 
speeches. It was a drawn battle, neither win- 
ning a victory. This was Hindman's first effort 
in Arkansas. 

Here I will bring in an incident in which both 
our heroes took part. Hindman put up at 
the Fadley Hotel. He was remarkably neat in 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 59^ 

his personal appearance, though not dudish. 
A crowd of gentlemen collected in the cool of 
the evening in front of the hotel and discussed 
the merits of the two young orators. A young 
lawyer, David Badham, a strong whig, took Al- 
corn's side, and observing Hindman's presence^ 
addressed his remarks to him. Hindman re- 
plied in an excited manner, when Dave 
jumped up and said sarcastically, '' And who 
are you, my sweet scented individual?" Hind- 
man made a grab at him, when a bystander 
jumped between them and said, "Dave is toa 
small to fight you;" and the affray stopped. 
But the little game cock was not satisfied with 
this solution of a vexed question. He sent him 
a challenge by his friend Mark W. Alexander. 
Hindman accepted the challenge, and as he had 
choice of weapons, selected bowie knives. 
Each was to hold in his right hand a knife, and 
the left was to be tied close to the body. The 
place selected for the combat was Tunica coun- 
ty, Mississippi. The time, 12 o'clock at night. 
The reader will observe that this altercation 
took place on the 6th of July, 1854, before 
Hindman and Cleburne had known each other. 
Cleburne heard of this bloody fight that was to 



6o Biographical Sketches of Generals 

come off, went to Dave Badliain and learned the 
particulars. Cleburne said, "It must be stopped ; 
it is brutal." Dave replied, "I shall meet him, 
^nd then there will be one peacock less strut- 
ting around to bully whigs." Cleburne then 
went to Mark Alexander, Dave's friend, and 
«aid : " This light must not come off. In the 
first place the antagonists are not physically 
equal, and I do not consider it a fair and hon- 
orable fight. The conditions may be in the 
code, but I consider it brutal." Alexander said 
he was willing for a compromise if it could be 
effected without compromising the honor of his 
friend. 

At this time Gen. Gideon J. Pillow was down 
on a visit to his plantation, and he and Cle- 
burne being friends, Cleburne set out to find 
him. He found him at his house, and upon 
making known his mission, the general replied 
that he had heard of the affair and was going 
to see Hindman. Gen. Pillow was always a 
peace maker, whenever appointed a referee. 
Cleburne and Pillow fixed it up so that neither 
of the combatants' honor was tarnished. I 
-never heard Cleburne say how it was done. If I 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindma7t. 6i 

did, I have forgotten it. In this instance Hind- 
man met his full match in bravery. 

In 1854 the democratic party had gained a 
signal victory over the whig party in Phillips 
county. For many years the strength of the 
two parties was about equal, the whigs always 
sending Walter Preston to the lower house of 
the legislature, while the democrats never failed 
to put in their Davis Thompson, Dr. Jeffries 
and Jas. C. Tappan. The senate was always 
democratic. At this election Dorsey Kice and 
Robt. Macon, both democrats, were elected. 
At this session the know nothing rage ran high,^ 
and some of our best democrats were leaving 
the old party and joining the new. Hindman 
was a lobby member at this session. He took 
an active part in 1856 in the canvass of Con- 
way and Yell, supporting Conway, the regular 
nominee. This canvass and that of 1858 made 
Hindman a leader of the democratic party, and 
the Johnsons became jealous of him and were 
beginning to make quite a stir in the know 
nothing party. He made many eloquent denun- 
ciatory speeches to crowds who gathered to 
hear him. By his eloquence and fearless dash 
he became a favorite with the democratic party, 



62 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

taking sides against the old leaders of the 
party — the Johnsons — who had inherited their 
right from their father, Judge Benjamin S. 
Johnson. Hindman, as an ambitious politician, 
saw there was no chance for him but to join the 
Rector wing of the party. This was in the 
canvass between Richard H. Johnson and Hen- 
ry M. Rector for governor in 1860. 

The Johnsons had too firm a hold upon the 
confidence of the people to be thus suddenly 
broken. Already Robt. W. Johnson had been 
elected to the United States senate. 

The contest for governor was very spirited, 
but did not engender personal feeling, both 
candidates being men of honor and high integ- 
rity. The campaign resulted in Rector's favor 
by a small majority. The lines of the Johnson 
party were broken, but after this election they 
were closed, Robt. W. Johnson being elected 
the second time. In 1861 he resigned his seat 
in the United States senate. The Johnson par- 
ty never died out, nor did its influence wane 
until after the war, when all its solons had been 
put under the sod of Arkansas soil. 

In the contest for governor, Hindman took 
the stump for Henry M. Rector. So brilliant 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 63 

was his oratory and so forcible was his argu- 
ment that he turned many of the followers of 
the Johnsons to Rector. Hindman, seizing on 
Rector's victory, rode the old war horse of the 
democratic party into the Federal congress. 

While in congress, Hindman was regarded 
the most brilliant speaker and the most forcible 
reasoner of his age, locking horns with the best 
talent the north could send against him. The 
time he was in congress, a little over a year, he 
was seen and felt by all within its walls. Hind- 
man was after the Napoleonic stripe, both in 
civil and military tactics ; he was a great ad- 
mirer of Napoleon, and those of my readers 
who admire the bold dash of the French gen- 
eral, not always balanced by mature judgment 
and unselfish feeling, will admire the character 
of Gen. Hindman. 

But back to the thread of our story. 

Hindman, in a speech at the court house in 
Helena, accused Dorsey Rice of selling out to 
the know nothings, and denounced him as a 
traitor and renegade from his party. It was 
said by Henry Mooney, a whig, that Hindman 
had stripped every vestage of political clothing 
from Rice and left nothing but his naked de- 



64 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

formity. Rice left the court house in a very 
angry mood, as was to be expected, and deter- 
mined to attack Hindman on the street. He 
went home (he lived in the country), and re- 
turned the next day in company with his 
brother Jamison. 

Hindman, hearing of their arrival and of their 
intentions, doubly armed himself and came to 
the drug store to see Cleburne. Informing Cle- 
burne that the Rice brothers intended to attack 
him as he was going to dinner at Major 
McGfraw's hotel (the old Fadley house), he said 
to Cleburne, "I want you to accompany me, 
and see that I have fair play." Cleburne said 
he would, if what he had heard was true, that 
the know nothings were going to back Rice. 
Cleburne was now a democrat. 

Cleburne now armed himself with two der- 
ringer pistols, and they walked out of the store 
side by side, until they came to Wm. F. Moore's 
dry goods store on the corner of the street, 
when a pistol shot was fired from behind the 
door. This shot was fired at Hindman, but 
missed its aim. Another shot was fired at 
Hindman across the street, taking effect in his 
left breast. Cleburne then turned to see where 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman, 65 

that shot came from, when another discharge 
came from behind the door, taking effect on him 
three inches above the crest of the illium on the 
right side of the spine, and ranging upwards 
lodged underneath the skin, resting on the en- 
siform cartilage. 

The gentleman who fired across the street 
was Dr. Maryatt, the nephew of the Rice 
brothers. A braver man never stood in shoe 
leather. Hindman returned Maryatt's fire, 
which took effect in his bowels, but he did not 
fall. Cleburne seeing no one but Maryatt 
shooting, fired at him before he fell, his ball 
taking effect also in Maryatt's bowels. 

This firing was done in much less time than 
it takes to write it. This statement was made 
to me by both Hindman and Cleburne, and 
is substantially correct. 

Dr. Maryatt was taken into an office and soon 
died, after suffering agonies, but without com- 
plaint. He stated before his death that he was 
there to keep his uncle from being overpowered. 
The same capacity Cleburne was in and the 
only two who were seriously wounded. Mary- 
att was as brave a man as ever breathed the 
atmosphere of free people. 



66 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Hindman was taken across the street to an 
office of the justice of peace, and there his 
wound was dressed by Dr. Jos. S. Deputy, a 
noted surgeon. While Deputy was cutting out 
the bullet, which had struck a rib and running 
around lodged deep under the pectoral muscles, 
Hindman was smoking a cigar and laughing. 
There was a large crowd of know nothings 
standing around to witness the operation. 
When they left a friend asked Hindman if it 
did not hurt when the doctor was cutting, to 
which he replied, " Yes ; but do you think that 
I would let those d — d know nothings know 
that I cared for their balls?" 

Cleburne was borne to a room above Licur- 
gus Cager's drug store. I was at my dinner 
when the summons came for me to go to Cle- 
burne. The messenger stated that he was 
killed. I sprang from the table and in a few 
minutes was at his side, overcome with grief 
and stricken with sorrow. Here I saw my 
dearest friend lying on a bed with his clothes 
on, and the house crowded with spectators. 
Blood was streaming from his mouth, his eyes 
glassy, his breath nearly gone, and his ruddy 
cheeks blanched to the whiteness of a lily. 



Pat Cleburne and T, C. Hindman. 67 

Something had to be done and that quickly. 
With the assistance of excited friends we 
stripped him of his clothing to discover the 
place where the bullet had entered, and found 
it as described. Seeing that no blood was pass- 
ing through the orifice, I proceeded to probe the 
wound, and break up the clot of blood. The 
clot being broken the blood commenced flow- 
ing freely until a stream was passing from the 
bed to the floor. 

Cleburne soon commenced breathing easier, 
and sponging out the blood from his mouth he 
uttered an inaudible sentence. Awakening out 
of what might be called a dream, he said : 
^'Doctor, are you here? Will I die?" I re- 
plied, " Cleburne, you are badly wounded; the 
chances are all against you." At this he 
turned his face and a deep pallor settled 
upon it. 

The motion demanded for the search of the 
bullet was too fatiguing for him, and in a 
trembling voice scarcely above a whisper 
asked me to desist awhile. I gave him some 
more brandy and quietly sitting by his side, 
Avith no one in the room but the nurse, waited 
until I could get up a reaction. I waited very 



6S Biographical Sketches of Generals 

impatiently tlie while, fearing I should never 
hear my friend's voice again, nor clasp his 
warm, generous hand ; taking his left hand in 
mine and pressing it to my bosom, at the same 
time uttered a silent prayer, with all the earn- 
estness of my soul asking God to spare his 
life. 

I was aroused from my reverie by Cleburne 
trying to vomit. The boy and I quickly 
turned him upon his side, and he threw up a 
quantity of blood mixed with a little food. He 
became again exhausted and in a weak voice 
asked to be turned on his back. This being 
done, and the brandy taking effect, he fell into 
a seeming doze. 

After resting in that position for a short 
time, he opened his eyes, and said, "Doctor, 
you are not going to leave me, are you?" I 
replied, "I will not leave your bedside, Cle- 
burne, until you are out of all danger ; noth- 
ing could induce me to leave you." 

For ten days and nights I watched by the 
bedside of my friend, giving him all the atten- 
tion my strength would allow. Dr. Hector M. 
Grant was in connection with me in the case, 
and rendered all the assistance he could. I 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindrnan. 69 

acknowledge myself indebted to him for many 
valuable suggestions in the treatment. 

As observed before, I found the ball just 
under the skin, and seeing the amount of hemor- 
rhage from the stomach, concluded that this 
organ had been perforated in one or two places, 
and judging from the innocent position it occu- 
pied, I would not extract it, fearing a fistulous 
opening into the stomach, and hoping plastic 
matter would close the wound, was my reason 
for letting it alone. Dr. Grant concurred with 
me in this decision. 

After the wounds were healed — the one in 
the back and the one in the stomach — and 
Cleburne was able to walk about the streets, 
Hindman proposed that they should make a 
visit to his father's and spend a week or so in 
the country, to which Cleburne assented. 

The ball was taken out by Dr. Ellis, a 
brother in-law of Hindman. This was a com- 
paratively painless operation, and the wound 
healed in a day or so. He told Cleburne that 
my hope had been realized, and that the orifice 
had been completely closed. Cleburne never 
felt any evil effects from this adhesion, except 



70 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

when he took violent exercise ; then he could 
feel a sensible drawing at that point. 

On his return from Mississippi he resumed 
his place in the store and discharged his du- 
ties as actively as if nothing had happened. 
Be it said to the credit of his host of friends 
that he received all the attention warm friends 
of both sexes could bestow. 

It will be seen that Cleburne must have 
been shot by a man on the inside of the house 
and behind the door, who must have been ly- 
ing down for the ball to have struck where it 
did and taking the range it did — an angle of 
forty-five degrees. However, this was con- 
ceded by all. 

This tragedy was truly life in death. It 
will be seen that this was a political affair. 
Cleburne had no personal feeling against the 
Rices, and was only acting in the capacity he 
had acted in every difficulty he was engaged in, 
and with the exception of our personal, quick 
tempered dispute, never had a word of differ- 
ence with any one. 

One of the most thrilling scenes that occurred 
in this tragic affair was exemplified in our old 
dog Tom. Tom was a dog of remarkable in- 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 71 

stinct, if it can be called instinct. If affection 
carried to its greatest tension can be dignified 
by the word intelligence, then Tom was an in- 
telligent dog, as the sequel will show. 

Cleburne was remarkably fond of Tom, 
always feeding him at meals, and giving him 
many friendly pats upon his head and learning 
him many tricks. Tom would make many 
trips to the store to accompany Cleburne to 
dinner. Tom reciprocated Cleburne's kind- 
ness with the intelligence and sympathy of a 
kind hearted woman. 

When Cleburne did not come to dinner Tom 
became restless, and going to the store did not 
find him. Returning home, my wife offered 
him his dinner, but he refused to eat, and she 
said he seemed distressed and anxious. The 
next day when the servant brought my meal to 
me Tom followed him, and when he came up 
the steps, and saw Cleburne lying on the bed, 
he ran with all his might to him, but Cleburne 
was too sick to notice him. He licked his 
hand, and his eyes expressed as much sorrow 
as did that of his friends. I did not drive him 
^way until I thought he was worrying Cle- 
burne. He stood upon his hind legs, with his 



72 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

fore paws resting on the side of the bed, with 
his eyes intently fixed on the object of his 
love. 

When I thought Tom had been there long 
enough I released his paws and tried to get 
him down stairs, but he refused to go, and 
crawled under the bed. I was afraid he would 
get to whining and disturb Cleburne, so I 
caught him by the neck and pulled him out 
from under the bed. I saw that Tom would 
not go unless violent means were used. Major 
Thompson, who was then in the room, said, 
"Doctor, let him alone; he wants to stay with 
Cleburne." 

I did not further disturb Tom, and he re- 
mained in the room night and day, every once 
in a while coming out from under the bed, and 
licking the hands of his best fri-end and then 
returning to his post. I don't think he ate, 
drank or slept until Cleburne was able to no- 
tice him, which was for many days. When 
Cleburne noticed him he feebly raised his 
hand, and putting it on his head uttered in few 
trembling words, "Tom, I knew you would 
come when you heard of it," and then he let 
his hand rest for awhile ; then taking it off of 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hiiidman. 73 

ills head and drawing it to his side to rest, fell 
asleep. Tom slided easily and slowly from 
the bed, and went under it. 

Tom remained in the room until Cleburne 
was able to go to his first meal. He followed 
him home, and was content to remain there. 

In about two years after Tom died ; and 
Cleburne had him a neat coffin made, and he 
was buried in the front yard of the writer's 
residence. Cleburne with his own hands put 
a head plank to his grave, with his name, place 
of birth, date of same, and place of death, with 
this epitaph : 

Here lies Tom, 

My faithful friend; 
His life is spent, 

And he's come to his end. 

The political friendship which existed be- 
tween Hindman and Cleburne now became a 
warm personal and lasting friendship. Both 
were glad to hear of each other's success in 
battle and the promotion following. This 
friendship was brought about more from 
Hindman's sense of gratitude than from assimi- 
lation of character, for there was never two 
men more dissimilar in this respect. 



74 Biogra'phical Sketches of Generals 

Hindman was an ambitious politician, rather 
overbearing in expression, and self-sufl3.cient 
and self-controlling, uncompromising in every 
thing, while Cleburne was docile, had no ambi- 
tion to become a leader in any calling, never be- 
came a candidate for any office, was always con- 
servative in his views and fair and honorable 
in his debates ; his social qualities were of the 
highest order, and his big heart took in sym- 
pathy enough to divide with the weak and dis- 
tressed. Such being the character of the two 
men, their lines of action were necessarily di- 
vergent. 

Hindman now became the leader of the great 
democratic party of Eastern Arkansas. He was 
to them a " beacon upon the mountain top, a 
light set on a hill.'- Around this light all the 
democrats and many of the know nothings 
were accustomed to gather and listen to his 
matchless streams of eloquence. He was more 
than a match for any man the know nothings 
could bring against him. 

Instead of using the word " whig " I use the 
term "know nothing," as by this time the 
whole of the whig party had been transformed 
into this new and formidable party. 



Pat Cleburne and 1\ C. Hmdman. 75 

In the year 1858 Hindman received the nom- 
ination for the lower house of congress from his 
district. In this race he was eminently success- 
ful, being elected by the largest majority of any 
of his predecessors. During this canvass his 
thigh was broken by a storm throwing a heavy 
tree across the buggy. As this took place in 
the country, away from skillful surgical treat- 
ment, it left the leg much shorter than its 
fellow, compelling him to wear a boot with a 
high heel. This gave him a slight limp in his 
gait. This wound was received when he was a 
political soldier, and not in battle, as has been 
recorded by some. 

This narrative shows Cleburne to have pos- 
sessed that magnanimity of soul rarely equalled, 
but never surpassed. In the whole political 
history of Arkansas there were no more thrill- 
ing incidents occurred than in this heated cam- 
paign. So intense was the excitement that an 
unguarded speech, or the click of a pistol, would 
have caused a riot with the loss of many lives. 
It was a hot war pursued almost to the knife. 
Taking the condition of things as they were, it 
was a timely opportunity for the advent of a 
man such as Hindman, with daring bravery ,^ 



*j6 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

forcible speech and eloquent language. These 
combinations Hindman possessed in an eminent 
degree. Almost fresh from the blood stained 
fields of Mexico, where he had been promoted 
for valorous conduct from a private to a first 
lieutenant, he regarded Arkansas as an em- 
pire of which he should be emperor. At this 
time fire ran through all his veins and dyna- 
mite through his brains. He never blew cold 
as the character in the novel did, but always 
hot. He lived and breathed in a hot political 
atmosphere fit for a Salamander. 

In the year 1856 Hindman was busy in his 
courtship with the beautiful, accomplished and 
simple Mary Watkins Biscoe. In this race he 
did not find that '' true love ran smooth," for 
there were many warm admirers of the Helena 
belle to contend with, besides the opposition of 
the girl's father. So firm was this opposition 
that the old gentleman concluded to enter her 
again in college, saying she was too young to 
marry. 

Accordingly he entered her in St. Agnes, a 
Roman Catholic institution in Memphis, with 
strict injunctions not to let any one see her ex- 
cept a member of the family, or one of her two 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 77 

uncles. Hindman by some means was let into 
the secret, and assuming the name of her Uncle 
Peter, visited her at the college. There is 
strategy in love as well as in war, and it is said 
all things are fair in each. When this trick 
was exposed, the old man rose, stamped the 
floor, pulled his hair, and said many bad words. 
The old lady cried, wrung her hands and threw 
a dusting cloth over her shoulders, crying, " The 
scamp ! the scamp !" The old grandma sitting 
in her rocking chair was tossing her hands 
over her head as though she had St. Vitus 
dance, making long groans and grunts at short 
intervals, but saying nothing. 

But all this was to no purpose, as Hindman 
had planted the seeds of love so deep in Mol- 
lie's heart that they were not to be eradicated 
by words or acts alone. These seeds grew rap- 
idly into the flowering stage, and it was at this 
time, iill things being reconciled, that the most 
beautiful and attractive bride that has ever 
been led to Hymen's altar by a noble knight of 
"politics," joined hands with her in the pres- 
ence of Rev. Mr. Welch and a large assemblage 
of relatives, and renewed the promises he had 



^B Biographical Sketches of Generals 

made her when trying to win her heart. This 
marriage took place in November, 1856. 

As might be expected, Cleburne was Hind- 
man's best man, while Miss Maggie Tollison 
(who has been spoken of before) was Miss Bis- 
ooe's first lady. After the marriage a bridal 
trip was contemplated. It was decided that 
this trip should be to Little Rock, for two 
reasons. The first was that Hindman wished 
to make the acquaintance of the leading poli- 
ticians of the state. The second was that 
Mollie wanted to make her uncle and aunt, Dr. 
Robt. A. and Mrs. Mary W. Watkins, a visit. 

At this time there were no cars running to 
Little Rock. The trip had to be made by 
steamboat and coach, the bridal party consist- 
ing of the four above named. They took a 
boat at Helena for White river, and at Aber- 
deen disembarked for the stage coach. The 
weather was very frosty. When they stopped 
at the first station, Hindman alighted from the 
'Coach and ran into the house to get a warm 
brick to put to the small, cold feet of his 
bride. Dr. John W. Glenn, a noted wit, said 
to Hindman, "Go back and get the grindstone 
for Cleburne's feet." Cleburne had a large foot, 



Pat Cleburne and T, C. Hindman. 79 

and as he was then more than half way in 
love with Miss Maggie, replied in a very sar- 
castic manner, ''I don't thank you, doctor, for 
your remark ; you think it is wit, but it is 
nothing but low down personality." Glenn 
had to apologize. 

As a girl Mollie sang as a nightingale, 
with a sweet, natural voice, as her fingers 
glided over the keys of the piano. She was 
graceful in all her movements. Her simplicity 
of manner, elegance of style and generous soul 
commended her to the admiration of all. All 
who knew her will acknowledge this is no ex- 
aggeration of her high qualities of head and 
heart. She will be introduced as Mrs. Hind- 
man further on in this drama. 

We now come to a point where our hero has 
determined to trim his lifeboat and launch her 
in other waters. Her sails must be trimmed 
and her joints tightened, as she is to sail on a 
tempestuous sea, where the winds blow freely 
and the waters are deep. As said before, 
Cleburne was fond of discussion, and having 
that talent developed in his debating society, 
he came to the conclusion that his mind ran 
more upon law than medicine, and decided to 



8o Biographical Sketches of Generals 

take up this intricate study and devote Ms en- 
tire time, with his accustomed energy, to the 
prosecution thereof. 

Knowing that medicine and law was as hard 
to mix as oil and water, I told him, if that was 
his intention, we must sell the drug store, as I 
had no desire to run it myself. He agreed to 
remain until we could sell out, which we did in 
a short time to the Lindsley Bros. By this 
sale Cleburne was put in possession of about 
three thousand dollars, his part of the profits 
the firm had made. 

He now entered the office of Judge Thos. B. 
Hanly as a student. After a year's hard 
study, cutting himself ofl" from all amusements 
and society, he presented his application to 
the court for license to practice law. He 
passed his examination with credit. 

The first case he had was one of a rich 
widow, who wished to eject a tenant. He was 
opposed by Charles W. Adams. As the two 
parties were of some wealth and influence, the 
case excited more than ordinary interest. The 
room was filled to hear the maiden speech of 
the popular young lawj^er. As Cleburne had 
the opening speech, he used the testimony for 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman, 8i 

his client with unusual force, and tried hard to 
invalidate the testimony of the defendant. As 
the witnesses were all credible, Adams must 
show in his rebuttal the inconsistency of his 
attack. Cleburne closed his argument by 
making an eloquent appeal to the jury in be- 
half of her widowed rights, saying that a gal- 
lant man should have more respect for the 
ladies than to draw them into court to defend 
their rights before the law. The whole house 
believed that the young lawyer had won his 
case, and the wish was father to the thought. 

Judge Adams must now reply. He arose 
gracefully and with rather a subdued expres- 
sion, knowing as he did that he had to face the 
beautiful and influential leader of her church, 
and that to win his case he must annul the pa- 
thetic speech which had been so eloquently 
made by her attorney. 

Adams granted all that had been said in the 
widow's praise to be true, and that he, less 
than any other man, would for an instant drag 
a lady into court. But that he had not the 
making of the laws, and the law made no ex- 
ception in cases of business contracts between 
men and women, but he should confine him- 



33 Biogj'aphical Sketches of Generals 

self to the law controlling the contract. He 
produced the contract and read it with the 
tnames of two respectable witnesses attached. 
Handing her the contract, he asked her if she 
had not signed it, and if that was not her signa- 
ture. On her replying in the affirmative, he 
pointed out the part of the contract which had 
t)een misconstrued by the lady, showing that 
she could not evade it, however ignorant she 
might be of the law. 

€leburne seeing that this interpretation of 
the law would destroy his argument, arose and 
in an excited manner, almost to anger, dis- 
puted some of Judge Adams' construction, to 
which Judge Adams replied in a cool, com- 
posed and smiling manner, saying, " Mr. Cle- 
burne, I have no feeling in the matter what- 
ever, and disclaim any intention of wounding 
the feelings of any one." 

This was a case where Adams thought pru- 
dence was the better part of valor. The case 
was given to the jury. The verdict was ad- 
verse to Cleburne's client. He walked out of 
the court house, mortified and deeply cha- 
grined, with the determination of posting him- 
self better on the law governing contracts. 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 83 

We must be excused for bringing in a line 
or two and dropping a sympathetic tear in 
commemoration of the life of our friend, 
Charles W. Adams, whose memory has almost 
faded into oblivion, and has not had that place 
in history he so much deserved. 

Adams was a devoted Mason, and on account 
of this connection Cleburne and Adams were 
friends, Adams at that time being at the 
head of the bar. Cleburne often consulted 
him concerning his cases. Judge T. B. 
Hanly was then on the bench. He was suc- 
ceeded by Adams. Adams had risen to this 
high position as Cleburne had done, being 
first a clerk in a store, and the same persistent, 
energetic actions which characterized the one 
also marked the other. 

Col. Adams was a brave soldier, a fearless 
debater, and an eminent jurist. When the Ar- 
kansas troops were removed to the trans-Missis- 
sippi department, Adams preferred staying 
with Albert Pike in the west. He was a great 
admirer and bosom friend of Pike. They 
were natives of the same state — Massachusetts. 
He was so much an admirer of Pike that he 



84 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

adopted Pike's style of letting his hair grow- 
long. 

By the by, Pike got his style from his old 
and respected friend, his "Arkansas Gentle- 
man," Elias Rector, who always wore a cue. 
The last time the writer saw the " Old Arkan- 
sas Gentleman " was at Fort Smith many years 
ago. His hair was of the yellow tinge of cot- 
ton, and when turned loose went down to the 
skirts of his garment. Time served to make it 
longer. The last time I saw his bosom friend, 
Albert Pike, he was standing on the banks of the 
Mississippi river at Memphis, the year after 
the war. His hair had also grown longer and 
whiter, but his eye was not dimmed nor his in- 
tellect clouded. He stood as erect as he had 
done twenty years before. When I looked into 
his face and shook that warm, genial hand, I 
could not help feeling that I was looking in the 
face of an old prophet, so grand, so noble, so 
stately, and yet so expressive of the grand en- 
dowments nature had given him. 

We must not let our thoughts run too much 
on our friends, but must confine ourselves to 
those characters with whom Cleburne was most 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 85 

associated in his early life. Arkansas heroes 
will all be brought in on their war record. 

Cleburne and Mark W. Alexander, a young 
lawyer with the brightest prospects of any of the 
young limbs of the law in his day, formed a 
partnership, but this did not continue long, 
owing to the death of Alexander. The next 
year Cleburne formed a partnership with Berry 
Scaife and L. H. Mangum, under the firm name 
of Cleburne, Mangum & Scaife. During this 
partnership the writer moved to his plantation 
in Tunica county. Miss., with the view of retir- 
ing from the practice of medicine. 

Cleburne must now find another home. He 
had lived in my family, with the exception of 
his first year, when he lived with Dr. Grant, 
continuously up to this date, 1858. But after 
this he visited us every week when he could 
leave his business. The partnership above 
spoken of lasted up to the breaking out of the 
war in 1860. 

As I had been somewhat of a land speculator, 
a company in North Carolina, wishing to pur- 
chase a large number of acres of swamp lands, 
wrote to me to take the contract ; but as I had 
become a little lazy and somewhat broken down 



86 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

by the duties of an active practice, I declined 
to accept the offer. I took the letter over to 
Cleburne and told him he could make a fortune 
out of it, and it would be a stepping stone as a 
great land lawyer. He replied, "Doctor, I 
know nothing about lands, never having gone 
five miles out of the city, but if you will let 
me do the work and give me your advice about 
what lands I should enter, I will take the con 
tract." He said he would take his part in 
lands, as he had no use for the money. I wrote 
to the company and they accepted him as my 
substitute. He entered several thousand acres 
under this contract, which accounts for his hav- 
ing so many acres of swamp land. He would 
have been a wealthy land owner had the Con- 
federacy succeeded. The legislature remitted 
the tax on these lands for two years, and seeing 
that his relatives took no interest in them, the 
state sold them for taxes. His relatives lived 
in the North. 

There is nothing to note of interest in the 
legal transactions of the firm of Cleburne, Man- 
gum & Scaife. As a young firm they received 
their share of the practice. Cleburne and Scaife 
had means sufficient to keep them until the 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 87^ 

patronage came. Mangiim was dependent on 
his profession. As they had to contend against 
the great lawyers of the state — Hanly, Adams, 
John Preston, Jas. C. Tappan, and others of 
like renown — they could not expect many cases 
of high interest. ^ 

This closes the law chapter, and I will now 
take up his political record, to show why at 
first he was a whig and then a democrat. As 
one of the most thrillings incidents of his life 
has been recorded, we will give one more, to 
show the true character of the man rather than 
for its political significance. 
X Cleburne, upon his arrival in 'New York, 
spent some time with his brother before going 
to Cincinnati. This brother was a civil engi- 
neer and associated with some of the aristo- 
cratic whigs of that city. Cleburne hearing his 
brother talk politics, and noticing his associates, 
came to the conclusion that the whig party was 
made up of intelligent, wealthy gentlemen, and 
that the democraMc party was composed of the 
lower and ignorant people, and naturally 
enough adopted his brother's politics. 

After his arrival in Helena he was not long 
finding out that the weight of wealth, intelli- 



88 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

gence and culture was with the democratic 
party in the South ; he also found the intelli- 
gent mechanics and laboring men were of this 
persuasion. He, however, held to his whig 
principles until 1855, when the "know noth- 
ing" or American party was formed. Cleburne, 
being a foreigner, could not bear the idea of 
being classed with a child just born on Ameri- 
can soil. 

Knowing the democratic party had extended 
the aegis of its protection to foreigners, and 
had stretched out its long arms across the seas 
and invited his brother to lay hold upon it that 
it might draw him to a land of freedom, where 
God's bright sun rose in the east but set in the 
west, and while he rose in his glory he left his 
strength in the west. ' 

For who can behold our magnificent govern- 
ment today, with its colossal proportions, not- 
withstanding we have had a bloody civil war, 
and sometimes a bad government, has yet be- 
come the wealthiest nation in Christendom, 
showing that the masses are able to control 
themselves — and at this writing we are the 
most united people in the world. 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 89 

Cleburne was never a stump speaker, nor was 
lie desirous of holding any office, but he had a 
great influence with the Irish and carried their 
vote unanimously for the democrats. The rise 
and progress of the American party was phe- 
nomenal, the name deceiving many a true 
patriot and old line democrat. It grew to 
alarming proportions in the larger cities and 
towns. This aroused the agricultural people, 
and the farmers in the middle and southern 
states, with a solid vote of the foreigners, 
crushed the hydraheaded monster almost in 
its infancy. Many acrimonious speeches were 
made, and many fisticuffs and bloody noses the 
result. 

The political spirit ran so high at this time 
that it had invaded every household in the 
country. It was father against son and mother 
against daughter. Politics was a personal 
matter. 

We will now recall an incident proposed in 
the first part of this article. 

Cleburne was very fond of discussion and 
did not take kindly to opposition. The new 
order of things afforded him many opportuni- 
ties for indulgence. At a dinner party at my 



9© Biographical Sketches of Generals 

bouse, Cleburne and Col. Henry L. Biscoe met. 
Biscoe was one of the leading men of the dem- 
ocratic party. Cleburne had heard that Biscoe 
had joined one of the know nothing lodges. 
They worked in secret. Cleburne charged Bis- 
coe with selling out to that party. So foreigu 
was this to anything Biscoe had done or ex- 
pected to do, that he resented the charge with 
words of forcible denunciation, and in the alter- 
cation said to Cleburne that he had told a 
falsehood. Whereupon Cleburne jumped up 
from the table and said, " I will see you again ; 
this is not the place to settle difficulties." 

When I went to the store I found Cleburne 
in a deep reverie. He asked me, " What shall 
I*do about the insult I received from Col. Biscoe 
at your table today?" I said : "Do about it? 
The thing is plain enough, Cleburne. You 
made a grave charge against him, and one 
he received as a shock, being so far from his 
intentions. Don't you know that the know 
nothings are putting out false reports on lead- 
ing democrats ? Haven't they Senator Sebas- 
tian as a convert ? You see, Biscoe could be 
readily excused for his language, as you were 
fathering the charge." Cleburne replied : "I 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 91 

had expected to go to him and apologize to his 
gray hairs " (which he always respected) " but 
not to his politics. You have made it clear 
that it is my duty to go at once and make the 
apology." This he did, and they were re- 
conciled. 

Cleburne had a conscientious view of what 
was right. No man was more willing to con- 
cede that which was right than Patrick Ro- 
nayne Cleburne. -^ 

As the following anecdote will show, Cle- 
burne would never eat sweet potatoes ; ate 
Irish potatoes altogether. At the dinner table 
in olden times the family were engaged in con- 
versation for an hour or so, no one having so 
many minutes to complete his meal and run to 
his employment. Cleburne and I had frequent 
discussions at the dinner table, and though 
sometimes excited we were alwaj^s friendly. 
My wife, knowing his absent mindedness, told 
the servant that when she saw Cleburne excited 
to place a whole dish of sweet potatoes at his 
plate and put nothing else there. We got into 
a discussion about the chemical action of cer- 
tain drugs, taking opposite sides. In the ar- 
gument Cleburne ate the whole dish of sweet 



93 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

potatoes, peeling and all. Upon my wife offer- 
him sweet potatoes the next day, he refused, 
saying, "I never ate one in my life." When told 
he had eaten a whole dishful the day before, 
he said, "I was so much excited I did not know 
what I was doing." He ate the potatoes and 
continued doing so and became very fond of 
them. 

As we are on anecdotes, I will tell one on 
Major Andrew Jackson Donaldson. This gen- 
tleman, in the year 1856, ran on the know 
nothing ticket for vice president. Donaldson 
had a plantation in Mississippi, about twenty 
miles below Helena. He was in the habit of 
making annual trips to his place. It was here 
that I became acquainted with him, and as 
some of my relatives in Tennessee were great 
admirers of Mr. Donaldson, and he was quite a 
companionable man, I let my acquaintance 
grow into a familiarity, and invited him to 
dine with me at Helena. He accepted the in- 
vitation, and my wife had a downright good din- 
ner for him. 

Donaldson at the dinner table commenced 
praising the principles of what he called the 
*' American party." Cleburne says : ''Major, 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 93 

are you not mistaken in the name ? They call 
themselves 'know nothings,' which we in Ar- 
kansas think very appropriate, since at the next 
election we will teach them how little they do 
know." The major replied in one of his forci- 
ble but rough ways and, speaking to a foreigner, 
rather personal. But as Cleburne had learned 
some experience in the Biscoe affair he did not 
give way to his Irish temper. 

The major told us goodbye, giving us 
one of his friendly shakes which though hospi- 
table was rough. When he left, my wife says, 
"Husband, why did you bring up an old Ken- 
tucky hog driver for dinner ?" I replied though 
the major was rough in his manner he was 
sound in his brain. He was one of Tennessee's 
leading politicians and had been a leading 
democrat, but that he was after the Davy 
Crockett style ; he was one of Tennessee's 
rough hewed bottom sill statesmen. I did not 
meet Donaldson again until 1862, when he 
spent a week with me on my plantation at the 
time Gen. Shelby's troops were transferred 
from Austin, Miss., to the west. We were 
now of the same politics and of course agreed. 



'94 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Hindman's canvass in 1856 was the most ex- 
citing of any of its successors. Several new 
factors had entered into the body politic. 
The most incisive was the plank in the know 
nothing or American party, requiring foreign- 
ers to be twenty-one years in the country be- 
fore voting or holding office. As the whigs 
had been so often defeated, even with their best 
statesmen for leaders, and the canvass of 
Franklin Pierce being such a marked success 
in 1852, they concluded that they must change 
the name of their party and call it "American" 
and bind the political Hamiltonian garment 
closer about them. This they wished to do 
without destroying the last landmark of a re- 
publican government — "states rights." 

This change of name and the declaration 
of radical principles engendered bad feeling 
in the breasts of our good and patriotic for- 
eign fellow citizens. The know nothings or- 
ganized secret societies and always met at 
night. The merchants and commercial men 
joined with the professional men of the old 
whig party, the professional men holding 
all the offices in their lodges. But the farmer, 
the mechanic and laboring men stuck to the 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 95 

old Jacksonian democrats and would have 
nothing to do with these secret political meet- 
ings. Personal difficulties arose everywhere. 
Men were killed, fisticuffs and bloody noses 
were almost of every day occurrence. But no 
property was destroyed. It was a political 
fight — the victory not spoils but honor — so 
much exasperated were the foreigners from 
every country, who had taken the oath to 
support the constitution and laws of their 
country. 

These foreigners at this time were by a large 
majority democrats. Arkansas is indebted to 
a large extent for her industry and intelligence 
to her German immigrants in her early days. 
As for their patriotism, in the south they made 
as good soldiers as those to the manor born, 
though they never owned a negro and never ex- 
pected to. Those in the north who had been 
in America long enough to learn and appreci- 
ate our free government, fought for what they 
believed to be right. Religious fanaticism and 
the clanking of the chains of slavery did not 
excite them to cruel combat with their broth- 
ers. The German foreigner had a higher mo- 
tive, the perpetuation of liberty as he saw it. 



96 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

The foreigner in the south fought for states 
rights as he had learned it from his Jackson 
catechism to be the chief authoritj^^ in this na- 
tion. 

It is not our purpose to elaborate on the poli- 
tics of the foreigner in the past, but simply to 
do justice to our foreign patriotic population 
in Arkansas. 

In 1856 the political cauldron reached its 
boiling point, and it was then that our politi- 
cal leader in the east stepped upon the politi- 
cal platform of the democratic party. Hind- 
man must now face the cannon from a thou- 
sand know nothing batteries. Their guns 
were all charged, and their gunners skillful 
marksmen. But the long rank and file of 
democrats, led by that brave, fearless, logical 
and eloquent Hindman was too much for the 
gentleman in cloth to resist. This election re- 
sulted in a brilliant victory for the democrats, 
electing James Buchanan, president, and Wm. 
K. King, vice president. 

The know nothings must now look for either 
another name more popular than native 
Americans or join themselves to some party 
hostile to the democrats. A new party did 



Pat Cleburne and T, C. Hindman. 97 

spring up in the eastern states under the 
leadership of Col. Fremont, who called them- 
selves free soilers, which meant that portion 
of the Unites States occupied by negro slaves. 
This party had grown to some proportions and 
had much sympathy across the Atlantic. The 
whigs of the north, being high tarifl' and na- 
tional bank men, joined this party, and by re- 
ligious fusilades and insane novels made con- 
siderable inroads upon the democrats in the 
southwest. 

But as the negro question is now a dead is- 
sue — except his vote, which is now melting away 
like frost before a summer sun — I will not recur 
to it, except where it has a direct connection 
with these narratives. The war is over, the 
negro free, and there let him be. 

John C. Calhoun, that great statesman — yea, 
more than a statesman, he was a prophet — said 
in the halls of the senate that the negro was 
the "black rock" upon which the union would 
split. His prediction came true. 

When Mr. Lincoln was elected in 1860, the 
whigs of the south, who were generally rich in- 
fluencial planters and large owners of slaves, 
could not join the free soil party, and therefore 



98 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

had to unite with the old constitutional party — 
democratic. This political alliance did not set 
well for a while — not that they loved Caesar 
less, but Rome more — but after it was 
formed it was to their interest to sacrifice their 
time honored Hamiltonian principles ; so they 
became enthusiastic, and out-heroded Herod. 
Their leading men — Pike, Fowler, Adams, David 
Walker, Thos. Hubbard, A. H. Garland, Jos. 
Stillwell, and a host of others — took up the po- 
litical sword, which in their hands was a two- 
edged one, and wielded it with the dexterity of 
Roman gladiators. Arkansas, tied to her tra- 
ditions and her interests, cast her vote for 
Breckenridge, while Ben Butler, who was a 
democrat, and on one of the tickets for presi- 
dent, raised an army and came south to capture 
plate and spoons, not prisoners. The election 
in 1860 resulted largely in favor of the free 
soilers or emancipationists. Abraham Lincoln 
was chosen president, and Hannibal Hamlin 
vice president. 

By this time T. C. Hindman had erected a 
handsome two story brick residence on the hill 
near the old Biscoe home — now occupied by 
the Catholics for a female college. This beauti- 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 99 

ful residence erected by Hindman is now occu- 
pied and owned by Mrs. Jas^H. O'Conner, the 
stepmother and half aunt of Mrs. Hindman. 
Hindman had now three children born to him, 
his oldest a girl, Susan Nash, named for her 
grandmother, now dead ; Biscoe, a boy of un- 
usual sprightliness, and a little girl whose name 
I have forgotten. She died during the war at 
Meridian, Miss. The two remaining ones, 
Thos. C.and Blanche, were born: Thos. during 
the war, I do not know where ; Blanche was 
born in Mexico in 1866, during Hindman's flight, 
an account of which will be given at the close 
of this book. 

Hindman took his family with him wherever 
he went. At times they were a considerable 
charge to him, and on retreats a great anxiety. 
He took with him two trusty servants, a male 
and a female, who also went with him in his 
exit to Mexico. 

I have given particulars of interest in the 
civil lives of our two heroes. I now come to 
describe the greatest epoch in their lives ; the 
one fraught with the greatest difficulties, the 
most trying scenes and under the most scruti- 
nizing eyes of the leaders of the civil war. 



lOO Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Their lines are henceforth to be cast in un- 
pleasant places and their energies to be directed 
in different channels. Heretofore they have 
been shooting paper bullets and receiving the 
same in their shielded breasts. They must now 
face the hard iron and the soft lead driven by 
that all powerful force, gunpowder, made 
energy by the spark from the enemy's flint. 
Did they shrink from their task ? Did they 
desert their gans ? The answers to these ques- 
tions will come in the sequel, when their heroic 
deeds shall be recorded. 

I will now take them up at the beginning of 
the war and transcribe every act in which they 
were connected. 

In 1860 Hindman resigned his seat in con- 
gress and came home, to use his influence in 
getting the stale to secede from the union. 

We now come to where a great chasm divides 
the once United States. A stranger walks 
through this deep and dark chasm, and with 
the aid of powerful eye glasses surveys the 
lines of the two great armies. He first looks at 
the south line, and he discovers a magnificent 
line of men, badly clothed, worse fed, but with 
every mark of God's noblest specimens of man- 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. loi 

hood. The fire of patriotism flashes from their 
eyes. He observes the gentlemanly bearing of 
the south's citizen soldiers, the high order of tal- 
ent in her officers of rank, and the gentlemanly 
bearing of her privates. The stranger becomes 
lost in admiration, and says : " This is an army 
of high toned gentlemen. Neither Greece nor 
Rome ever gave to the world a more heroic set 
of patriots." He is induced to speak with a 
sentinel who is walking on the south side of 
the chasm. He addresses him thus : 

" I have permission to walk through this 
chasm and view the two armies. I am a neu- 
tral and friendly to both sides, and therefore 
deplore the results that must necessarily fol- 
low when these two great armies shall come to- 
gether in mortal combat." The sentinel raises 
his hat and makes him a bow, such as none 
can make, unless he has been trained in the 
•southern school of ethics. 

The stranger finishes his survey and is lost 
in contemplation. He now turns to the north 
side of this deep, dark and damnable chasm. 
He sees a long line of strong, stalwart, muscu- 
lar men, well clad, the commissary filled with 
the best rations the country can afford. He 



I02 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

looks at the big guns, he sees the large gun- 
boats with their big shells and solid shot. He 
looks at the cavalry. Their horses are fat and 
fine, and their riders are straight, and they 
have their animals well under control. He 
finds that this superb army has the three great 
elements of success — men, munitions and 
money. He says : "Wellington's army at the 
battle of Waterloo was not half so well 
equipped as this great army, which is the 
wonder of the world. I fear for the little 
army on the south side lest it should be 
crushed in its first engagement. But there is 
one thing that lingers in my mind. It made a 
deep impression on me, and I have been looking 
in vain to find its counterpart in the men on the 
north side. It is that patriotic fire, that in- 
domitable will, that determination to win or 
die. I observed every nerve in those men 
strung with patriotic emotion, and every mus- 
cle charged with the electric sparks of activity. 
But I said they must be mowed down like 
wheat before the scythe. They can not stand 
the number of big guns, the glittering swords, 
and the improved modern rifle, with which 
the others are well provided. 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 103 

" I Stood upon a high hill at the battle of Bull 
Run expecting to see this little army of patri- 
ots demolished. To my great astonishment 
I saw the little army charge the enemy, and 
with fire in their eyes and dynamite in their 
souls, they pressed forward like Spartans, 
carrying death dealing instruments in their 
hands. Then I saw the north line broken and 
the patriots advancing with a Comanche shout, 
which terrified the enemy so much that they 
fled in confusion. Then I said the battle is 
not to the strong, but to those who fight for 
liberty to the death." 

This stranger will pass up this dark chasm 
at the end of the war and give his observation 
and experience about results. 

Cleburne, at the first call to arms, joined the 
first company that was organized in eastern 
Arkansas, and perhaps the first in the state. 
It was the first company that formed the first 
regiment of which he was elected colonel. 
This company, called "Yell Rifles," he joined 
as a private. It was commanded by Capt. Ed. 
Cowley, who was at that time county clerk. 
Capt. Cowley received an injury in the head, 



I04 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

and Cleburne was elected captain, jumping 

from private to captain at one leap. 

I will now transcribe what I have gotten from 
the records of the state, to show the transfer of 
the state troops to the Confederate government, 
for the purpose of showing what part Cleburne 
took, also to show when he met Gen. Hardee, 
and how personal relations grew up between 
them which lasted for life. This feeling was 
not altogether a military affair, but resulted 
through Cleburne's merit as a man as well as a 
brave soldier. 
/ The following is copied from series 1, vol. 3, 
pp. 609-610, Confederate War Record: 

ARTICLES OF TRANSFER OF ARKANSAS VOLUN- 
TEERS TO THE CONFEDERATE STATES, 
JULY 15, 1861. 

The military board of the State of Arkansas, 
upon the part and in behalf of the State of 
Arkansas, and Brig. Gen. W. J. Hardee, upon 
the part of the government of the Confederate 
States of America, agree to the following stipu- 
lations and terms in regard to the use and con- 
trol of the forces, arms, munitions and supplies 
now in the service of the State of Arkansas : 



Pat Cleburne and 7\ C. Hind7?ian, 105 

1. The military board of the State of Ar- 
kansas, upon the part of and in the behalf of 
the State of Arkansas, hereby transfers to the 
government of the Confederate States of Amer- 
ica (their consent having previously been ob- 
tained), all the troops now in the service of the 
State of Arkansas, consisting of the following 
regiments, battalions, companies and detach- 
ments : The first regiment of infantry, com- 
manded by Col. Cleburne ; the second regiment 
of infantry, commanded by Col. Gratiot ; the 
third and fourth regiments of infantry, attached 
to Gen. Pearce ; the fifth regiment of infantry, 
commanded by Col. David C. Cross ; the sixth 
regiment of infantry, commanded by Col. 
Lyon ; the seventh regiment of infantry, com- 
manded by Col. Shaver ; the first regiment of 
cavalry, commanded by Col. Carroll ; the first 
battalion of cavalry, commanded by Lieut. Col. 
Borland ; the Pulaski artillery, commanded by 
Capt. Woodruff; the Clark county artillery, 
commanded by Capt. Roberts ; the McCown 
artillery, commanded by Capt. McCown ; Trigg's 
artillery, commanded by Capt. Trigg, and a 
company of artillery attached to Brig. Gen. 
Pearce's command. 



io6 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

2. The military board of the State of Ar- 
kansas, upon the part of and in behalf of the 
State of Arkansas, hereby transfers the use and 
control of the arms and munitions of war now 
in the service of the above described troops, 
and such other arms and munitions as may 
hereafter be deemed necessary to be transferred 
to the government of the Confederate States of 
America, upon an inventory being taken and 
receipt given for the same by Brig. Gen. Hardee, 
or such agent as he may authorize to receipt 
for the same ; the State of Arkansas retaining 
her property in the arms, with the understand- 
ing that they or their equivalent shall be re- 
turned at the close of the war.^ 

3. The military board of the State of Arkan- 
sas, upon the part of and in behalf of the State 
of Arkansas, hereby transfers to the govern- 
ment of the Confederate States of America all 
the commissary and quartermaster supplies be- 
longing to the above described troops, and 
agrees to furnish them with an outfit, consist- 
ing of horses for artillery, harness for artillery, 
ammunition wagons, caissons, with camp and 



♦Where these arms were surrendered the writer does not know, but is 
quite certain they were never returned to Arkansas. 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. IIind?nan. 107 

garrison equipage, and the transportation 
necessary for the service. 

4. Brig. Gen. Hardee, upon the part of in 
behalf of the government of the Confederate 
States of America, agrees, either by himself or 
agent, to receipt for the above described stores, 
outfit, supplies and transportation, and stipu- 
lates that said government of the Confederate 
States of America shall pay to the State of Ar- 
kansas the amount expended, or to be ex- 
pended, for said supplies, stores, etc. 

5. The military board of the State of Ar- 
kansas, upon the part of and in behalf of the 
State of Arkansas, agrees to furnish the neces- 
sary clothing prescribed in the regulations of 
the army of the Confederate States to the 
above described troops during the period for 
which they enlisted, and Brig. Gen. Hardee, 
upon the part of and in the behalf of the 
government of the Confederate States of 
America, shall pay to the State of Arkansas a 
sum equal to the cost of the clothing of a non- 
commissioned officer or private in the regular 
army of the Confederate States for each sol- 
dier so furnished v^ith clothing by the State of 
Arkansas. 



io8 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

In testimony whereof the parties above 

named hereunto sign their names and affix 

their seals. 

Done at Little Rock, July 15, 1861. 

H. M. Rector, 

Governor and ex-officio president military 
board. 

Bei^jamin C. Totten. 

Samuel W. Williams. 
W. J. Hardee, 

Erigadier General Confederate States Army. 

In presence of D. W. Davis, secretary mili- 
tary board. 

I transcribe the following language from Mr. 
Pay Hempstead's history of Arkansas : "Last 
and greatest was Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, 
who enlisted first as a private of the Yell Ri- 
fles ; went as captain of the Yell Rifles." 

Cleburne did not go out as captain of this 
company. Ed. Cowley was captain and re- 
mained its chief officer until he received an in- 
jury in the head which disqualified him from 
further service, and he returned home, from 
which wound he died. The writer knows 
whereof he is speaking, as he attended Capt. 
Cowley in his last illness. Whether the 
wound was received in the first battle in which 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 109- 
this company engaged or whether by accident 
the writer has forgotten. 

From this company Cleburne was made colo- 
nel of the first Arkansas infantry, state 
troops, a regiment which *' by confusion of 
records came to be called the fifteenth Arkan- 



sas." 



As this statement had gone into history and 
believing it to be an error, I addressed the fol- 
lowing note to Judge Samuel W. Williams, 
whom I knew was one of the members of the 
military board : 

Hon. Sam W. Williams, Little Rock, Ark. 

Dear Sir — I send you a transcript of what I 
find in Mr. Hempstead's history of Arkansas. 
You will find it on page 368, the last paragraph 
on that page. Please give me such informa- 
tion as you may have in regard to the accuracy 
of that part which refers to the change of the 
name from " first " to " fifteenth," and oblige, 
Your friend, C. E. Nash. 

I received the following reply, which I give 

in text : 

Little Rock, Ark., May 31, 1898. 

Dr. C. E. Nash, Little Rock, Ark. 

Dear Charley — Your letter received, in which 
you ask me my recollections as to any change 
in the number of Col. Pat Cleburne's regiment, 



no Biographical Sketches of Generals 

No. 1, Arkansas state troops. In answer to 
this let me state that I have no knowledge of 
any such change. If it ever occurred, it was 
after the transfer of July 15, 1861. Cle- 
burne's was the first regiment mustered into 
state service, and was ordered to Bird's Point 
on the Mississippi river, in June, 1861. The 
fifteenth regiment of state troops, I think, was 
organized after I resigned the position on the 
military board, in the county of Sevier, and 
Col. Dawson was its commander. But as I was 
at that time in command of the seventeenth 
Arkansas, in actual service, and speak from in- 
formation, I do not pretend to be accurate. 

At the time of the transfer of the state troops 
on the 15 th of July, 1861, the following regi- 
ments were in process of organization, to wit : 

Eiglith, at Jacksonport; W. K. Patterson, 
colonel. 

Ninth, at Pine Bluff; John Bradley, colonel. 

Tenth, at Springfield, Ark.; Thomas D. Mer- 
rick, colonel. 

Eleventh, at Benton, Ark.; Jabez M. Smith, 
colonel. 

Twelfth, at Arkadelphia ; Edward W. Gantt, 
colonel. 

Thirteenth, at Harrisburg, Ark.; J. C. Tappan, 
colonel. 

Fourteenth, at Yellville; W. C. Mitchell, 
colonel. 

Yours truly, Sam W. Williams. 

In 1864, when Cleburne was on his way to 
Mobile, Ala., to attend the wedding ceremonies 
of Gen. Hardee, as his best man (this shows 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. iii 

Gen. Hardee's friendship for Cleburne was not 
born of a military character alone, but from 
the high merit of a moral man), he stopped for 
a few days at Selma, and was my guest. I 
might bring in an interlude here, which may be 
of some interest to the reader. Commodore 
Furand entertained the distinguished guests at 
a supper given by the officers of the big ship 
Alabama, which was then in construction at 
Selma. At this entertainment many jokes 
were indulged in. Cleburne told one on Har- 
dee, and instead of Hardee replying, he said to 
me, " Doctor, can't you give us one on Cleburne, 
as he says you and he were young men to- 
gether and particular friends?" I replied, 
"Yes, sir; I can give you a good horse joke 
on him." Cleburne said, " Doctor, don't tell 
that; I can ride now." The guests insisted 
that I should tell it. I told it as I have before 
written it, and it caused great laughter from 
those sunburnt and powder scorched veterans 
who had not been permitted to laugh in a year. 
No one enjoyed it more than Cleburne, who 
said, " It is all so, as he has told it." 

On his return from Mobile he informed me 
of his intention to address Miss Sue Tarlton, 



112 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

whom lie met at the wedding as Mrs. 
Hardee's first maid of honor, and with whom 
he waited. He fell in love with Miss Sue on 
first sight. He addressed her by letter, and it 
seems that the same impression was made on 




MISS SUE TARI.TON. 

her, as she engaged herself to him on receiving 
his first letter. I have every reason to believe, 
by my correspondence with her, that she was 
as earnest and sincere as I knew him to be. 
He wrote me all the details of his plans as to 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 113 
the future, if he should come out of the war 
alive. He said in one of his letters to me that 
he had done me valuable service in winning 
my girl, and that he would call on me to re- 
quite him for his kindness. I kept up a part 
of the correspondence until his death, when I 
had to break the news of his untimely death. 
His staff sent me, agreeable to his instructions 
if he should be killed, all of his personal effects, 
he having told them that I would know what to 
do with them. They consisted of his uniform 
in which he was killed, his fine wearing ap- 
parel, and the scabbard of the sword presented 
to him by the State of Arkansas (the sword was 
never sent, or if it was I never received it), 
" Old Pepper," his war horse, and another he 
used as a fatigue horse. 

All these articles were received except the 
two horses, which were captured by the Fed- 
erals before reaching Selma. A letter was en- 
closed in the box from the two members of his 
staff, Mangum and Hanly. I sent Miss Sue 
the box, retaining nothing but the uniform. I 
wrote her that I would forward " Old Pepper" 
as soon as he arrived in Selma, but that I would 
keep the other horse. 



114 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

Her reply was most pathetic and sorrowful. 
I wish I could remember the words. If I had 
the letter I should copy every word of it, as it 
would be so vastly superior to anything I might 
attempt to substitute. She thanked me for the 
interest I had taken in their affair, but said 
that as they were looking hourly for the fall of 
Mobile she preferred my keeping " Pepper " at 
her expense in Selma. As I said before, the 
horses were captured before reaching me. 

This ended my correspondence with Miss Sue. 
Had these letters not been burned with all my 
books and papers at the fall of Selma, I should 
be perusing them at this moment with Cle- 
burne's, and running my mind back to the dark 
and bloody days of the Confederacy. But if 
we had been able, during all the changes of the 
war, to keep posted with each other's move- 
ments, I might have added to my list another 
agreeable and much prized correspondent. 
Miss Sue was a cultured and interesting writer. 
A little incident might be brought in here, if 
for nothing more than amusement. On his visit 
to Selma, Cleburne jestingly said to my little 
daughter Mary, "I will catch a live yankee 
and put him in a cage and send him to you." A 



Pat Cleburne and 7^. C. Hindnian. 115 

live yankee was caught and sent to us, not by 
Cleburne but by Forrest in his raid on Mem- 
phis. This yankee was a major in the Fed- 
eral army and brother-in-law of the writer. 
He was paroled on his honor and given the 
limits of the city. Of course we treated him 
well, knowing him to be an honorable man 
that would take no advantage of our kindness. 




"OLD PEPPER," THE WAR HORSE. 

He was invited to spend the day with many of 
the leading families of Selma, and to this day 
speaks in the kindest terms of the citizens. 

This man was no less than Col. James H. 
O'Conner, of Helena, as strong a southern man 
and as good a democrat as can be found in the 
state. 

But back to the yankee Cleburne was 
to send. One of my servants, "Parker," who 



ii6 Biographical Sketches of Generals 

had been importuning me to let him go to the 
front, as he called it, ran away and went to the 
front, and told Cleburne I had sent him to 
be his hostler. Cleburne said that he had 
a man that suited him, but told him that he 
could stay in camp and wait on his staff for 
whatever compensation they would give him. 
Parker remained for several weeks, but by this 
time the novelty of camp life began to wear 
away, so he applied to Cleburne for a pass to 
return home. This Cleburne gave him, with a 
letter to me thanking me for my kindness, and 
stating that he had the same servant he left 
Arkansas with, and was well pleased with him. 
In the letter he added a postscript to the 
little girl saying he did not catch the yankee, 
but got his sword, which he sent b}^ Parker. I 
never knew of Parker's whereabouts from the 
time he left Selnia until one night he made 
his appearance just after a supper was given 
to Capt. T. B. Flournoy's and Capt. John T. 
Shirley's families. This was in December 
when the weather was quite frosty and we 
were all sitting by the fire. We were startled 
by the appearance of a man clothed in a blue 
uniform with a sword dangling by his side. 



Pat Cleburne and T. C. Hindman. 117 

He advanced quickly towards me, and as I had 
no time to think who this intruder might be, I 
raised a chair to strike him, and at the same time 
Capt. Flournoy caught the poker and Shirley 
the shovel. When Parker got half way across 
the room he said : " I'm come. Master Charley. 
I fotched a letter to you from Gen. Cleburne, 
and this sword for Miss Mary and a pair of 
boots for Capt. Flournoy." We were all 
greatly relieved, and grounded our weapons. 
We talked to Parker until midnight, asking 
him many questions about our relatives and 
friends who were with Cleburne. This old 
sword my daughter, Mrs. Mary E. Lindsey, 
has kept as a memorial of her friend. 



REMINISCENCES. 



'THE following contribution is furnished by 
H. G. Bunn, the long time colonel of the 
fourth Arkansas infantry, C. S. A., who is the 
present chief justice of the supreme court of 
Arkansas : 

ARKANSAS IN THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

In complying with your request I will give a 
brief and memory sketch of the Arkansas 
Confederates with whom I served as a soldier 
in the great war. 

I must begin and I fear I shall have to end 
with an apology. The scenes and incidents of 
one's youth and early manhood, and the asso- 
ciates of our younger days, appeared so differ- 
ent then from what they would appear to us in 
old age, and withal have left that different im- 
pression upon our minds that it is difficult to 
speak of them in the language and with the 
heart of the present without giving sentiment 
too much influence in the performance, and not 



I30 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

enough of the colder, better judgment. Be- 
sides it has been so long ago, and the after 
history of our generation of southerners has 
been so varied, so stirring, and so engrossing, 
that memory must be more than ordinary ten- 
acious and sound to call back any very accu- 
rate picture of what we were, and what 
we did, and what we thought, and by 
what general motives we were actuated in 
those far off times. 

Starting in the latter part of June, or the 
first part of July, 1861, from the southern 
county of Calhoun, the company of which the 
writer had become a member some three or 
four weeks previous, took up its line of march 
to join Gen. Ben McCulloch, then the Confed- 
erate commander in northwest Arkansas and 
southwest Missouri, who was at that time in 
the neighborhood of Springfield in the latter 
state, a distance of nearly four hundred miles. 

The soldier boys of the present day, I dare 
say, would consider such a march on foot an 
outrageous imposition upon the soldier of first 
effort, but we made it, not only without com- 
plaint, but after the fifteen or twenty mile 
march the early night was more frequently 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 121 

than otherwise whiled away with all manner 
of amusements, most of them necessarily in- 
volving the employment of much physical ex- 
ertion. It was I might say a jolly march 
throughout without a halt, except two or three 
days at Little Rock and a week or more at 
Fayetteville, where we waited the arrival of 
seven other companies from southwest Arkan- 
sas, then enroute by way of Fort Smith. 
These having joined us, the eight companies 
hurried on to join the army of McCulloch to 
engage in the battle of Oak Hills. 

Our company had no officers and refused to 
elect any until our arrival at Fayetteville. 
The state senator from Calhoun and Ouachita 
counties, at the time a resident of Hempstead, 
was recognized as our leader. He was an old 
California ranger, an Indian lighter, although 
at the time comparatively a young man. This 
was the honorable Joseph B. McCulloch, after- 
wards captain, then major of the regiment. 
He was a Tennesseean by birth, but in early 
manhood had gone to the far west, and there 
served for some years with that fearless border 
cavalry known the world over as " rangers." 
He bore on his body the scars made by an In- 



122 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

dion arrow and other evidences of the rough 
service to which his first manhood's years had 
been devoted. He was a first cousin of Gen. 
Ben McCulloch, the first husband of Mrs. J. C. 
Barrow and the father of Mrs. S. B. Smith, both 
now living and residing in Little Kock. He 
was a most genial gentleman, rather stout in 
build, but features somewhat delicate. He 
was elected captain of the company at Fayette- 
ville. 

While at Fayetteville, and before the arrival 
of the other companies, one of the company by 
the name of Fletcher, in an altercation over a 
game of cards with a straggling Texan by the 
name of Jones, was shot and killed by the latter. 
His was the first death in the company. The 
hue and cry was raised immediately after the 
report of the murderous pistol, and a half dozen 
or more active and determined young men went 
in hot pursuit of the murderer, who had fled 
southward from the town, and they overtook 
and captured him about where the national 
cemetery is now located, and brought him back 
to get recruits to have a hanging after the man- 
ner of Judge Lynch. In the meantime the re- 
mainder of the company stood in line under its 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 123 

oflicers, and when the party returned they took 
in both captive and the captors, and hurried 
the prisoner off to the county jail. We learned 
he was released after our departure some days 
afterward. We did not encourage mob law in 
those days to the extent of killing people. 

Two companies of the regiment, after one 
day's march north of Fayetteville, were hurried 
forward by a night march to protect some Texas 
artillery commanded by Capt. Goode, which 
was on ahead and was thought to be beset by 
jaykawkers and other roving parties of the 
enemy. These companies overtook this battery 
of artillery on the ground over which the battle 
of Elk Horn was fought seven months after- 
wards, and, as I now remember, it was the 
same morning on which the battle of Oak Hills . 
was fought, to engage in which we were being 
hurried forward. That battle was fought 
earlier than was expected, and we reached the 
army afterwards when it had encamped in a 
little town southwest of a spring fifteen or 
twenty miles, called Mount Yernon, where there 
is some of the finest spring water I ever saw. 
From thence we moved southwardly, and fixed 
our camps (the infantry) on the east edge of 



124 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

'* Cow Skin Prairie," in Benton county, Arkan- 
sas, about three miles east of Maysville, on the 
line of the Cherokee Nation. There was lo- 
cated near by a society of vegetarians, with 
their church and school, or rather had been, for 
I believe they had removed when we reached 
the locality. 

The Arkansas troops who engaged in the 
battle of Oak Hills were as follows: State 
troops, Brig. Gen. JST. B. Pearce commanding 
— First cavalry, Col. DeRosa Carroll ; Carroll's 
company of cavalry, Capt. Charles A. Carroll ; 
third infantry, Col. John R. Gratiot; fourth in- 
fantry. Col. J. D. Walker; fifth infantry. Col. 
Tom P. Dockery ; Woodruff's battery, Capt. W. 
E. Woodruff; Reed's battery, Capt. J. D. 
Reed. McCulloch's brigade, Confederate troops 
— First Arkansas mounted riflemen. Col. T. J. 
Churchill; second Arkansas mounted riflemen, 
Col. Jones Mcintosh ; McRae battalion, Lieut. 
Col. Dandridge McRae. This brigade also in- 
cluded the thirtieth Louisiana infantry. Col. 
Louis Hebert, and south Kansas and Texas 
mounted regiment. Col. E. Greer. 

Gens. McCulloch and Mcintosh (the latter 
having been made brigadier general after the 



Re7niniscences of the Civil War, 125 

battle of Oak Hills) were both killed in the 
subsequent battle of Elk Horn. Col. Louis 
Hebert, a West Pointer, became brigadier gen- 
eral during the war, and died some years ago. 
Col. Churchill, Lieut. Col. Dandridge McRae, 
and Col. Evander McNair, of the fourth Arkan- 
sas infantry, these three, who joined McCulloch 
of the Confederate brigade at Mt. Vernon, are 
all living — Gen. Churchill at Little Rock, 
McRae at Searcy, and Gen. McNair at Hatties- 
burg, Mississippi, where he is spending his de- 
clining years happily with his married daugh- 
ter. The writer did not know any of the state 
troops while in active service, as they were dis- 
banded as such immediately after the battle of 
Oak Hills, on the expiration of their term of 
service. It is to be hoped some one will give 
an appropriate sketch of these troops, for from 
all accounts they were among the best in the 
service. Col. Gratiot, by profession a surgeon 
and civil engineer, died, I believe, several years 
ago. Col. J. D. Walker still lives at Fayette- 
ville. Col. T. P. Dockery died some time dur- 
ing the present year, and Capt. W. E. Wood- 
ruff still lives in Little Rock. I am unac- 



126 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

quainted with the history of the prominent 
men. 

To illustrate the manner of " doing things " 
among the high spirited Confederates of the 
early period of that great war, the tragic story 
of the wagon master of the fourth Arkansas 
will not be out of place at this point. 

This man, by virtue of his office, was third 
in control of the wagon team, and took advan- 
tage of his opportunity to steal one or two of 
the mules, and deserted, making his way south- 
ward from our encampment on " Cow Skin 
Prairie," in the western part of Benton county, 
Arkansas, towards his home, in one of the mid- 
dle western counties, south of the Arkansas 
river. He was promptly pursued by Major 
James H. May, of the regiment, and soon over- 
taken and carried back to the camp, where a 
court martial of the brigade was at once or- 
ganized, and having readily found him guilty 
he was adjudged to have his head shaved and 
with an appropriate placard put on his back 
to be drummed out of camp, and to be given 
orders to the effect that if he should be there- 
after caught within one mile of the encamp- 
ment he was to be shot. The sentence was ap- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 127 

proved by the commanding officer, and on the 
first day of October, 1861, was executed strictly 
to the letter. By the deft hand of the best bar- 
ber in the brigade his head was closely shaven, 
and a board, 6x12 inches, with the words 
"horse thief," nicely painted by the skillful 
hand of Knox, the little drummer, was lashed 
on his back. The culprit was marched down 
the line formed by the troops of the brigade, 
escorted by a regimental guard and preceded 
by the regimental field band, discoursing the 
lively but then much discredited strains of 
" Yankee Doodle," instead of the " Rogue's 
March," which was the customary music on 
such occasions, and having been escorted thus 
the prescribed distance from the camp was 
then given his orders. The faithful chronicler 
of the regiment thus concludes the story of the 
"Wagon Master." When he reached home he 
found the story of his dishonor had preceded 
him, and having been warned by his old neigh- 
bors to leave the county, and not being quick 
enough they arrested him, secured a rope, 
found a swinging limb and suspended him be- 
tween the heavens and earth. This was the 



128 Reminiscences of the Civil War^ 

work of but a few minutes, followed by this 
quotation of the poet — 

Go mark him well, 

For him no minstrel rapture swell; 

But doubly dying he shall go down 

To the vile dust from whence he sprung — 

Unwept, unhonored and unsung. 

After returning from our second advance into 
southern Missouri, we encamped on or near the 
western part of what was afterward the battle- 
field of Elk Horn, naming this camp after our 
commander, " Camp McCuUoch," where we re- 
mained two or three weeks, and then as winter 
was coming on we came south about one day's 
march to a place called " Cross Hollows," 
which is about twenty miles north of Fayette- 
ville, one mile east of the main road leading 
from the latter place to Springfield, Missouri, 
called then the " wire road," and about as far 
west from the west fork of White river. Here 
we built our winter quarters and spent the 
winter until February, 1862, when we took our 
leave of this pleasant retreat under circum- 
stances hereafter to be detailed. Our quarters 
were on the north side of a semi- mountain 
stream, large enough to turn a good size grist 
mill located just below us. This stream ran 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 129 

from easfc to west, and emptied into White river 
a mile or two distant. The thirtieth Louis- 
iana, the fourth, fourteenth, and perhaps the 
sixteenth Arkansas infantry, and perhaps also 
McRae's battalion were encamped, and on the 
camp ground built their winter quarters, con- 
sisting of two box houses with two rooms each,, 
with brick stack chimney in the center of each, 
and one or two glass windows on the side of 
each room. The quarters of the fourth Ar- 
kansas, at first the lowest down the branch, was 
a hollow square with a wide street leading out 
west and up the creek to the thirtieth Louis- 
iana and one or two other regiments, whose 
quarters formed simply a cone. Subsequently 
the fourteenth Arkansas (Mitchell's) arrived 
and occupied just below and west of us. They 
encamped in tents, having come too late to 
build houses. The colonel of the fourth Ar- 
kansas (McNair) and the major (May) here took 
leave of us on a furlough of sixty days, to visit 
their homes in Montgomery and Hempstead 
counties, respectively. The adjutant (Grant) 
also left for his home in Montgomerj^ county on 
a furlough, and the writer, a third lieutenant, 
was detailed to act as adjutant. The adjutant 



130 Reminiscences of the Civil IVar. 

having resigned at the end of his furlough, I 
was made regular adjutant, and served as such 
until the reorganization of the regiment at Cor- 
inth, Mississippi, in April, 1862. The " boys " 
had what they ever after looked back to as a 
''good time " at Cross Hollows. The citizens 
in the vicinity were generous, and the young 
people had their frequent gatherings and par- 
ties ; the sportsmen whipped the water of 
White river, and another class of them indulged 
much in the national game. After pay day 
the intoxicated and unhampered artist of the 
distillery was near by in places, to lend a help- 
ing hand to the festivities of the season. The 
deep snows of winter in that latitude and alti- 
tude furnished the means ready at hand for 
many a sham battle, especially to the delight 
of the pelicans from Louisiana, who had never 
before seen a snow to remain on the ground any 
considerable time. 

We had now been in the service from live to 
seven months, and a few boys who had come 
from the village and town, and had there 
" learned things " in their bringing up, had by 
this time made many disciples from among thfe 
country boys, and the sport with cards, given 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 131 

zest by the anties that all were able to make at 
times, became the ruling passion with a large 
and, I may say, increasing number. But this, 
while free among the soldiers, was a kind of close 
corporation as regarded the outside world, as a 
little story will illustrate. The war had early 
a depressing effect upon the business and trade 
of the detested but tolerated gentry who had 
infested the steamboats plying the great river 
and its navigable tributaries in the southwest. 
These professional cheats and gamblers, mostly 
of high degree, began to be more frequent in 
the larger towns and cities, and to prolong their 
sojourn therein, as they were on the lookout 
for the pay which promised the richest pay un- 
der the circumstances. 

The lower sort who were wont to loiter around 
wharfs, flat boats and the nearer country 
towns, endeavoring to pick up their living as 
best they could, now betook themselves to the 
camps of the soldiery, nicely calculating on 
and regulating their visits by the advent of the 
monthly pay day. A few of this latter class 
had found their way even among the soldiers 
of the remote region beyond the Boston moun- 
tains, and of course in the virtuous precincts 



132 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

of Cross Hollows. Professedly tbey belonged 
to the Confederate army, sometimes to a neigh- 
boring regiment, sometimes to more remote 
commands. Their adaptness in the game soon 
gave rise to suspicions, as to their want of lo- 
cal identity, and their peculiar callings, and 
their consequent success in giving the rapid 
transit of the soldiers' pay to their own pock- 
ets gave zest and incentive to the inquiry as to 
their connections. And so it was that a nest 
of these unclean birds, formed in the upper 
story of the neighboring water mill, disgracing 
the honest rattle of its steadily whii'ling rocks, 
and degrading the virtuous atmosphere which 
permeated its ever}^ room, and opening began 
to take in the boys' hard earned wages ; and so 
it was that tlie suspicions of the latter began 
to be aroused, and their losses began to give 
voice to their suspicions, and to watchings and 
detections, and of escapes also. Finally one 
or two lingered too long to look once more 
upon the delights of this ungrateful rally and 
were caught and exposed, and as quickly 
tried by drumhead court martial, found guilty 
and sentenced to ride the ignominious rail, as 
an introduction to a permanent leave of ab- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 133 

sence from the camps. Yolunteers to cany 
the rail that was to bear the unfortunate gam- 
bler and the band given to playing airs appro- 
priate were the prominent attendants upon the 
occasion that followed, and it was said by the 
quiet young officer, whose duty it was to su- 
perintend this and all similar exhibitions, that 
the volunteer rail bearers were rather more ex- 
act than necessary in conforming to the ups 
and downs of the rail, to the rollicking strains 
of the lively music to which the procession 
marched on the occasion ; but the sportive 
equestrian never came back, and that was the 
end in view. 

And thus were the hours, the days, the 
weeks and the months of the winter of 1860-1 
whiled away in the happy valley of the ever to 
be remembered " Cross Hollows " until the fur- 
loughed had returned and spring time began 
to soften the merry notes of our songs into the 
cadence that belong to the music of love and 
home, and then, as if from out the place of 
*' Arcadia's Land " — 

There was mounting in hot haste the steed; 

The mustering squadron, and the clattering car 
Went forward with impetuous speed, 

And swiftly forming in the ranks of war. 



134 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

And the deep thunder peal on peal afar, 

And near the beat of the alarming drum 
Aroused up the soldier ere the morning star, 

While thronged the citizens with terror dumb, 

Or whispering with white lips, *^The foe! they come, 
they come!" 

And this brings us to the opening of the 
Elk Horn campaign. 

The short campaign into southwest Missouri 
in October, 1861, and the falling back into Ar- 
kansas, and the encampment called Camp 
McCulloch on the side of Sugar Creek valley in 
Benton county, and near what became after- 
wards the western border of the battle field of 
Elk Horn, thence to Cross Hollows for the in- 
fantry and the Arkansas river valley below 
Yan Buren for the cavalry of McCulloch's divi- 
sion, and the concentration of all these com- 
mands with Gen. Price on Boston Mountain, 
twenty-five or thirty miles from Fayetteville, 
make up in a general way the history of that 
army between the rest at Camp Walker on "Cow 
Skin Prairie " of the infantry and artillery, and 
other camps of the cavalry, and the beginning 
of what is known as the Elk Horn campaign. 

Gen. McCulloch had gone to Richmond, leav- 
ing Mcintosh in command of his cavalry, and 
Hebert, with headquarters at Fayetteville, in 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 135 

command of his infantry, encamped as before 
stated at Cross Hollows, and Gen. Price bad 
sent his chief of staff. Col. Thomas L. Smeed, to 
Richmond to further arrange with the Confed- 
erate authortities as to the transfer of the Mis- 
sourians to the Confederate army, and other 
matters growing out of the change. Of course 
the long standing jealousy or ill feeling exist- 
ing, or said to exist, between Price and McCul- 
loch was necessarily considered at Richmond, 
and this resulted in an assignment of Maj. Gfen. 
Earl Yan Dorn, but recently assigned to the 
department of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, 
covering the middle valley of the Mississippi 
on both sides of the river, to command the 
trans-Mississippi district of that department. 
He ranked both Price and McCulloch, and was 
withal a fearless, dashing and enterprising 
officer, and was thought to be the man pecu- 
liarly fitted for the place. He came, however, 
with a collar round his neck, and to succeed 
under such restraint was simply an impossibil- 
ity. Such a burden has never been successfully 
borne by any military commander, and never 
will be in the very nature of things. 



136 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

YanDorn took command of the army at its 
camp on the top of Boston Mountain, and 
on the 2d of March, 1862, began his march 
northward directly to Bentonville, to flank the 
Federal army under Gren. S. R. Curtis, then en- 
camped on the hills bordering the northern side 
of Sugar Creek valley, on the Fayetteville and 
Springfield, or "wire road," as it was then called. 
One brigade of the division, under Col. 
(afterwards general) Jeff C. Davis, had been 
encamped temporarily at Cross Hollows, twelve 
miles south of Sugar Creek, and doubtless en- 
joyed the comfort of recent fine winter quarters. 
Another, under Gen. Franz Siegel, was stationed 
at Elm Springs — McKussoks or Bentonville — 
and the main army under Curtis in person, 
with Gen. Oesterhous and Col. Eugene 
Cowloch commanding a brigade, were at the 
regular camp north of Sugar Creek, which 
afterwards became the southern part of the Elk 
Horn battle ground, from which the Federals 
successfully defended themselves from Van 
Dorn's attack upon the right and rear. Van 
Dorn's advance from Boston Mountain was 
never excelled for celerity and order by new 
troops. He struck Siegel at Bentonville, giving 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 137 

him scarcely time to draw in his outposts and 
beat a hasty retreat to rejoin Gen. Curtis at 
Sugar Creek, seven or eight miles away. Gen. 
Siegel himself was eating his dinner at the vil- 
lage hotel at the time the Confederates ap- 
proached the place from the south. The Con- 
federate cavalry followed closely on the heels 
of his "flying Dutchman," and the fourth Ar- 
kansas infantry was in close support of the 
cavalry. Many of SiegePs men were killed and 
wounded along the road and bordering woods, 
but he was an excellent officer in the manage- 
ment of a retreat, as well as a good fighter any- 
where, and he made good his escape on this 
occasion. 

On the 6th of March Price's division took 
the lead, and after crossing Sugar Creek on the 
Bentonville and Elk Horn road turned for a 
short distance sharply to the north, passing 
old Camp McCulloch, then the "Twelve Cor- 
nered Church," and thence eastward to the 
" wire road " in rear of the Federals, about three 
miles further, McCulloch following until his 
division reached the church, then turned to the 
right over a level space covered by open but 
uncultivated fields and dense thickets of tan- 



138 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

gled vines and other undergrowth eastward, 
reaching to the foot of the same mountain 
range that there separated the two divisions, a 
distance of about three miles, and in this order 
the first day's battle was fought, McCulloch's 
division passing over to Price during the night, 
leaving the western part of the field in posses- 
sion of the Federals, who were unable to retain 
but a small force on that side, being put to all 
their strength to maintain the fight on the east 
around Elk Horn tavern. 

It is not the purpose of the writer to describe 
the battle of Elk Horn, or any other battle, but 
a brief statement of the causes and its endings 
is necessary in order to follow the thread of 
the story. I have said that Yan Dorn was 
under the restraint of military supremacy, and 
really under military orders to cross the Mis- 
sissippi river with his army to unite with the 
army of Gen. Johnston preparatory to the bat- 
tle of Shiloh, and thus whatever he did was 
was to be done in haste. He could lose not a 
day, if he expected to bring Curtis to a stand- 
still. That was all he could reasonably expect, 
unless extraordinar}^ good fortune should attend 
his arms, and he be enabled to capture his 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 139 

enemy. The curious spectacle of the commis- 
sary train of each army being within the lines 
of the other here presented itself. The Con- 
federate train had halted at the crossing of Sugar 
Creek, with a small command to guard it, 
while McCulloch's division occupied the west 
part of the battle ground. This guard was in 
touch with the rest of the army, but not so on the 
second day, when McCulloch's division had 
been transferred over to the "wire road." The 
writer has no definite information as to the 
course of the train when it was separated from 
the army and the Federals had gotten in be- 
tween, but suppose it took the back track and 
went south again by way of Bentonville. The 
Confederate army was then left without sub- 
sistence, and but little had been furnished 
the troops on the day before the battle opened. 
As may naturally be supposed the Confeder- 
ates were without ammunition, except for a 
mere dash, and by no means sufficient to sus- 
tain a battle of ordinary duration, and this 
with the haste attending the movement was the 
cause of the sudden retreat around the Federal 
army on the east side down the valley of the 
west fork of White river to the mountain^ 



140 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

crushing them down to Frog bayou to the Ar- 
kansas river — cut off from its commissary 
train, and in utter ignorance of its whereabouts, 
except that it was on the other side of the Fed- 
eral army and the territory it occupied. In 
the meantime tlie Federals were without pro- 
visions, their supply train being then enroute 
from RoUa, Mo., where was located their 
extensive depot of supplies. This train had 
advanced south to the semi-mountain passes, 
near the line between the two states of Missouri 
and Arkansas, and to a point it is said not ex- 
ceeding eight miles north of the point where 
Gen. Price struck the " wire road " in his detour 
around the Federal army. He was thus ex- 
actly between the Federal army and its supply 
train, if the current reports were true, and on 
the same road. At all events, all our wounded 
men left in the twelve cornered church, which 
after the first day was in possession of the Fed 
erals, were informed by the Federal officers 
that they were without rations or medical sup- 
plies, but were expecting a wagon train in a 
short time, and this accords with the current 
rumor afloat as to the whereabouts of their 
train. In fact the wounded Confederates, as I 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 141 

now remember, said the Federal officers cor- 
roborated these rumors. 

The following Arkansas troops were engaged 
in the battle of Elk Horn : McCulloch's divi- 
sion, Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch ; the infantry- 
brigade, Col. Louis Hebert commanding ; fourth 
Arkansas cavalry. Col. EvanderMcNair ; four- 
teenth Arkansas, Col. M. C. Mitchell ; sixteenth 
Arkansas, Col. J. F. Hill ; seventeenth Arkan- 
sas, Col. T. A. Rector; twenty-first Arkansas, 
Col. Dandridge McRae ; nineteenth Arkansas, 
Col. P. R. Smith ; twenty-second Arkansas, Col. 
G. W. King ; cavalry brigade. Brig. Gen. James 
Mcintosh ; first mounted rifiemen company, 
T. J. Churchill; second Arkansas mounted 
rifles, Col. B. T. Embry (dismounted for the oc- 
casion) ; and first battalion, Major W. H. 
Brooks ; artillery — Hart's and Province's 
batteries. 

On the retreat from Elk Horn the Confeder- 
ates made their way southward to the Arkansas 
river, and encamped below Van Buren, where 
Van Dorn and Price had their headquarters, 
being already under orders to hasten to unite 
with Gen. Johnston at Corinth, Miss., which 
place he was then approaching. In a few days 



142 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

the movement of the troops toward Corinth be- 
gan, which place, however, they did not reach 
in time to take part in the battle of Shiloh. 

Soon after the opening of the battle of Elk 
Horn, Gen. McCulloch had ridden to the front 
to ascertain the force and movements of the 
enemy, and having gone but a little distance in 
front of his lines, he was shot down by a sharp- 
shooter. It was understood among the soldiers 
that he was alone when he fell, as he had just 
passed through the line to the front a moment 
before. Another statement is that the general 
was attended by one of his staff. The wood 
cuts found in the war books all present fair 
likenesses of the general. He was a man of 
medium size and height, weighing about 150 
pounds, and being about five feet ten inches in 
height. His hair was coal black, but rather 
thin. I believe he had black or dark brown 
eyes. In disposition he was reserved, modest 
and rather reticent. He was enterprising, and 
ever watchful, but exceedingly cautious, yet 
withal a brave and determined soldier, and had 
he lived would have risen to high rank in the 
army. He was a Tennesseean b}^ birth and of 
very poor and humble parentage. Being full 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 143 

of spirit, when barely grown he went to Texas, 
then the "far west," and joined the unique 
soldiery known as "Texas Rangers," whose 
dash and daring, whose skill as horsemen and 
in the use of firearms are known over the world. 
At the breaking out of the Mexican war he was 
a captain in command of a company of those 
gallant horsemen, and took an active and most 
honorable and efficient part in that arm of the 
service during the whole of that war, which at 
its close left him doing service in this line within 
the territory acquired by the United States 
from Mexico. He was among the first to join 
the Confederate army, and was at once made 
brigadier general. 

Gen. James Mcintosh had been of the regular 
army, and resigned his commission as captain 
and joined the Confederates, and was elected 
colonel of the second Arkansas mounted rifies, 
and as such was in the battle of Oak Hills on 
the 10th of August, 1861, and commanded the 
cavalry in suppressing the hostile tribes of In- 
dians in the Indian Territory during the winter 
of 1861. 

When McCulloch fell, Mcintosh immediately 
took command of the division, and taking his 



144 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

old regiment, dismounted for the occasion, he 
led a charge upon the Federal infantry, con- 
cealed but a few yards in his front by a dense 
thicket of vines, briars and small trees, and 
was shot from his horse almost as soon as he 
had begun the charge, and died instantly. He 
was greatly beloved and admired for his dash 
and other soldierly qualities by those who were 
under his immediate command, and promised 
to make a soldier of mark had he lived. 

Col. E. Greer, of Texas, being the next in 
rank, assumed command of the division after 
the death of Mcintosh, but being of the cavalry, 
and that arm of the service taking little part on 
this the first day of the fight, his part was not 
marked by anything of note. His services, 
when opportunity aff'orded, not only in this 
battle, but in all the subsequent scenes of the 
war in which he was called upon to act, were 
most honorable. 

Col. Louis Hebert, of the thirtieth Louisiana, 
who commanded McCulloch's infantry brigade, 
was captured soon after McCulloch was killed, 
and was succeeded by Col. McNair in command 
of the brigade. Hebert was a West Pointer, 
a man of fine, soldierly education, and rose to 



Reminiscences of the Civil War, 145 

the rank of brigadier general during the prog- 
ress of the war, and died many years ago, but 
some time after the war bad closed. He was 
a brother or cousin of Paul 0. Hebert, at one 
time governor of Louisiana. 

Col. E. McNair, of the fourth Arkansas in- 
fantry, and who commanded in most of the 
fighting done by McCulloch's division on the 
first day of the battle, as has been said before, 
is still living in contentment and comfort with 
his married daughter at Hattiesburg, Miss., be- 
ing now eighty years old. When the war 
broke out he was a merchant in the town of 
Washington, Ark. He had been in the Mexi- 
can war, and was orderly sergeant of one of the 
companies of the first Mississippi rifles com- 
manded by Col. Jefferson Davis, afterwards the 
president of the Southern Confederacy. Col. 
McNair was born in Richmond county, North 
Carolina, but when a mere child his parents 
removed to Lawrence county, Mississippi, and 
when twenty-five years old began a mercantile 
business in Jackson, Miss. At the breaking 
out of the Mexican war he closed his business, 
enlisted as a volunteer and became a soldier, 
as stated above. On his return from the Mex- 



146 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

ican war he settled down to engage in his for- 
mer business at Washington. 

Van Dorn with his army landed at Corinth a 
few days after the battle of Shiloh, which oc- 
curred on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862, and 
Hebert's infantry brigade was for a few days 
placed under Brig. Gen. Hogg, of Texas, father 
of the late governor of that state. The army 
was here reorganized and a brigade formed 
consisting of the first and second Arkansas 
mounted riflemen (dismounted), the fourth Ar- 
kansas and the twenty-fifth Arkansas. Col. 
Turnbull, and Col. Churchill, who had been 
promoted to brigadier general, was assigned 
to the command of it, Col. E,. H. Harper suc- 
ceeding him as colonel of the first Arkansas 
rifles, and then also Harris Flanigan, afterwards 
during the war governor of Arkansas, became 
colonel of the second Arkansas rifles, and when 
he was elected governor in November, 1862, was 
succeeded by Col. J. B. Williams, still living 
in Hempstead county. Col. McNair continuing 
as colonel of the fourth Arkansas, but being 
the ranking colonel was all the time after- 
wards in command of the brigade, as Gen. 
Churchill was also of the division to which 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 147 

they were attached, consisting of his own brig- 
ade and a Texas brigade, afterwards known as 
Ecleis, but at this time commanded by Col. T. 
J. McRae, of the first Arkansas infantry, which 
was in that brigade until about the time of the 
battle of Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862, 
when it was transferred to Churchill's brigade. 
In the meantime the 29th North Carolina, Col. 
Doud Coleman, had been attached to our brig- 
ade and remained with us until the Georgia 
campaign of 1864, under Gen. Joseph E. John- 
ston. It was exchanged for the ninth Arkansas 
infantry. Col. Isaac Dunlop, brother of Major 
W. S. Dunlop, once auditor of Arkansas, now 
residing in Little Rock. Organized thus the 
brigade continued until the close of the war. 
In November, 1862, Col. McNair was promoted 
to be brigadier general and placed in command 
of the brigade, but he was wounded at the bat- 
tle of Chicahominy and transferred to the trans- 
Mississippi department, where he commanded 
a brigade in Gen. Churchill's division, and in 
March Col. D. H. Reynolds, of the first Arkan- 
sas rifles, was made brigadier general, and was 
in command when wounded at the battle of 
Bentonville, N. C, in an artillery duel in the 



148 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

morning before. The battle opened in the 
afternoon. Afterwards the writer, senior colo- 
nel of the brigade, having been elected lieuten- 
ant colonel at the engagement at Corinth, No- 
vember 6, 1862, and promoted to colonel, com- 
manded until it was consolidated with one reg- 
ment of which he was made colonel commanding^ 
and was such at the surrender, near Greens- 
boro and on the return home. 

In this hasty and imperfect way I have en- 
deavored, in simple language, that may be 
understood and appreciated by the remnant 
of the command, to tell what I know of the 
Arkansans in the Confederate army with whom 
I served, and in doing so I have purposely 
avoided the beaten and customary path of the 
historian, purposely telling of things that will 
never be known except in a memory sketchy 
such as this is intended to be. 



The following recollections of Gen. T. C. 
Hindman have been contributed, at the request 
of the author, by Col. Sam W. Williams, of 
Little Rock, Ark. : 

"In the fall of 1854, Elbert H. English was 
elected by the legislature chief justice of the 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 149 

supreme court of Arkansas, and at his request, 
in November, 1854, 1 removed from Brownsville, 
Ark., my former residence, and took charge of 
his office and business at Little Rock. In this 
manner I was thrown in contact with the legis- 
lature of that year, and was a frequent attend- 
ant upon its sessions. 

" About the same time a youth, almost beard- 
less, in whose face were plainly delineated 
force, self confidence and intellect of a high 
order (he was blue eyed and fair complexioned, 
and below the average height), each day en- 
tered the house and took his seat by R. B. 
Macon and W. D.Rice, the representatives from 
Phillips county. He came with the air of one 
who had a right to the privileges of the floor, 
and made himself conspicuous in whispering 
to these representatives and apparently advis- 
ing as to measures under discussion, in so much 
that some members took umbrage at his con- 
duct near the close of the session, in January, 
1855. I was told that in consequence of this. Dr. 
Moon, who had no more rights to the floor than 
Hindman, had attacked him in the house while 
in session, and they had a hot time in the old 
town that night ; for awhile bullets flew thick 



150 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

and fast, and the crack of the pistol was heard 
sharp and clear. Fortunately no blood was 
shed before the belligerents were arrested. I 
was not present, but was told that Dr. Moon, 
perhaps, was put up to it b}^ some one who was 
offended at Hindman's course, and what was 
called by some his cheek, by going on the floor 
and meddling where he had no right. 

" Let the blame rest where it may, one thing 
must be said : Hindman had a wonderful talent 
to get into fusses, from which he always came 
off either victor or with credit. It was unfor- 
tunately one of the evils of the times that po- 
litical distinction and promotion often followed 
a fight, which made young men often seek 
them. At all events, during that winter Hind- 
man laid the foundation of all his political and 
military future. The democratic party was 
largely in the ascendant in the legislature when 
it met, but that party was full of an element 
which was dissatisfied with the machine which 
ran it, then called, for want of a better name, 
the Johnson dynasty, sometimes called ' the 
family clique.' The know nothings had just 
sprung up, and before that session was over a 
large majority of its members were in that 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 151 

party, and men elected as democrats assisted 
in filling all the state offices, then, except the 
governor, all elected by the legislature, with 
democratic know nothings. That sterling old 
democrat, William R. Miller, was beaten for 
auditor by A. S. Huey; and that faithful old 
public servant, J. H. Crease, was beaten for 
treasurer, because he was an Englishman by 
birth, by the democratic know nothing A. H. 
Rutherford. But he held but one term. When 
in 1857 the democrats returned to power, they 
restored him to the office. Now at this 
time know nothingism had made giant 
strides, and had perhaps two-thirds of the 
voters of the state bound in its lodges to a 
secret oath. This was Hindman's opportunity 
and his glory. He feathered in with the demo- 
cratic machine, got the backing of its organ, 
the 'True Democrat,' then edited by R. H. 
Johnson, brother of U. S. Senator Robert W. 
Johnson, a man of superior force as a writer, a 
brainy and scliolarly man. 

" Hindman put out a large list of appoint- 
ments in north Arkansas, where the know 
nothings were strongest. His object, not then 
suspected, was to lay the foundation for going 



153 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

to congress from the northern district of Arkan- 
sas. The state had then but two districts. 

" Suffice it to say that Hindman did for Arkan- 
sas what Henry A. Wise did for Virginia. He 
scattered the know nothings to the four winds 
behind him. As he went, the democratic news- 
papers were full of democratic withdrawals 
from it, and though a few sturdy ganders of the 
democratic persuasion stood to their guns and 
made a fight in 1856, with Gen. James Yell, a 
democrat, as their standard bearer; yet it was 
clear that it was a foregone conclusion from the 
time that the unknown young orator, under- 
rated by his foes, made that celebrated canvass 
alone through north Arkansas. This canvass, 
made through the snows of the latter part of 
the winter 1854-55, made Hindman and killed 
the know nothing party forever in Arkansas. 

" Hindman ran for and was elected to congress 
in 1858, supported by the democratic machine. 
It was my fortune to often meet Hindman in 
1858 and 1860 in attending courts where he 
spoke. By 1860 the disaffection of democrats 
at the machine became so great that it culmi- 
nated in the split of that year and the election 
of Hindman, though he sided with the inde- 



Refniniscences of the Civil War. 153 

pendents without opposition, he being the reg- 
ular democratic nominee at the Dover conven- 
tion. The convention in the southern district 
broke up without a nomination, turning lose 
C. B. Mitchell, the machine candidate, and E. 
W. Gantt, independent democrat, resulting in 
the election of the latter. 

" The democratic convention of 1860 nomi- 
nated R. H. Johnson for governor, a represen- 
tative of what was called the family dynasty. 
A large minority of that convention published 
a protest setting forth that the convention was 
packed and other grounds of objections to it 
and its nominee. The protestants put up 
Henry M. Rector as the democratic candidate 
for governor. The protesting democrats swept 
the field and elected their men. In this con- 
test Hindman sided with the independent 
democrats and really organized the canvass, 
and knowing the value of a newspaper, he se- 
cured the establishment of the ' Old Line Dem- 
ocrat,' and had T. C. Peek, a Virginian of cul- 
ture and experience, brought here to edit it, 
wrote for it himself and selected a coterie of 
skilled writers to discuss in editorials local 
matters and history. No blunders were made. 



1^4 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

He supervised and engineered all. I heard 
him frequently in the canvass of 1860. The 
opposition had no match for him. I must say 
that as a speaker for the masses I never heard 
his superior. He took " Populus " always off 
his feet. I have heard some of our greatest 
orators, too, both of this and other states. 

" I had but little contact with him as a mili- 
tary commander.' He left Arkansas early in 
1861, went to Bowling Green, Ky., with his 
command raised under the Confederate govern- 
ment directly. I was absent from my regi- 
ment (seventeenth Arkansas) when it was deci- 
mated and destroyed at the battle of Corinth, 
Miss., and its remnant, with others, was reor- 
ganized as the twenty-first Arkansas, and that 
sterling old soldier, Jordan E. Cravens, who 
had enlisted and served as a private in my 
regiment in 1861, when I organized it at Dar- 
danelle, was made its colonel. When Hind- 
man came over here in 1862, to organize that 
armv which won the battle of Prairie Grove, he 
ordered all officers in Arkansas who were away 
from their commands to report to him, which I 
did. He requested, rather than ordered me, to 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 155 

go to Crystal Hill and drill new conscripts^ 
about six thousand being there. 

" I told him my condition, which was appa- 
rent, that my health would not admit of such 
service. He then gave me detached service, 
which I performed until I was elected attorney 
general in 1863, which ended my military ser- 
vice." 

As to the names and numbers of regiments 
organized in Arkansas, Col. Williams writes 
as follows : 

" The contract of the military board with Gen. 
Hardee, taken from series 1, vol. 3, pages 60^ 
and 610, Confederate War Records, pub- 
lished by the United States, settles the 
dispute about Gen. Pierce's three regi- 
ments of infantry. He numbered, with- 
out authority, Gratiot's regiment No. 3 in- 
stead of No. 2, as the board numbered it, and 
Dockery's regiment Pierce numbered 4 instead 
of No. 3, and Walker's No. 5 instead of No. 4 ; 
whereby we would have had two 5's, Cross's 
and Walker's, and that has produced a great 
deal of confusion in history. Walker's, No. 
4, was disbanded after the battle of Oak Hills^ 
while Cross's continued in the service and 



156 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

formed a part of Hardee's division east of the 
Mississippi river, and afterwards Cleburne's. 

" In December, 1860, the legislature passed an 
act for the election of delegates for a conven- 
tion to meet March 4, 1861. The convention 
met and passed an ordinance of secession to be 
submitted to the people in August, 1861, 
and adjourned March 21, 1861, subject to call 
of the president, in case of coercion by the 
United States of the seceded states. The at- 
tempt to provision and reinforce Fort Sumpter 
by the United States was an act of war, and 
provoked the attack on it by the Confederate 
soldiers in April, 1861. David Walker, the 
president of the convention, called it to recon- 
vene on May 6, 1861. On the same day they 
met they passed the ordinance of secession im- 
mediately. They formed two brigades and 
elected G-en. James Yell commander of one and 
Gen. N. B. Pierce commander of the other, and 
created a military board of which the governor 
was president, and two military advisors were 
members. An army was raised by this board 
and turned over to the Confederate government. 
There was at the time, the 15th of July, 
1861, in process of organization, but not 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 157 

organized, the following regiments, which went 
into the Confederate service in the fall of 1861. 
You discover that Shaver's, No. 7, is the last 
regiment in the contract. The new regiments 
were numbered as follows, and were raised at 
the places below mentioned: Eighth, at Jack- 
sonport, W. K. Patterson, colonel ; ninth, at 
Pine Bluff, John Bradley, colonel ; tenth, at 
Springfield, Conway county, Thomas D. Mer-^ 
rick, colonel; eleventh, at Benton, Saline 
county, Jabez M. Smith, colonel ; twelfth, at 
Arkadelphia, E. W. Gantt, colonel ; thirteenth^ 
at Harrisburg, Poinsett county, J. C. Tappan, 
colonel ; fourteenth, at Yellville, Marion county, 
Wm. Mitchell, colonel. 

" Cleburne was the first to organize and apply 
for service, and he was numbered 1, and was- 
ordered by the military board to Bird's Point 
on the Mississippi river, where he remained 
until after the transfer, when he was ordered to- 
Bowling Green, Ky., by Gen. Hardee, with all 
the other Arkansas troops so transferred. 

" The members from Phillips county in the 
convention were T. B. Hanly and C. W. Adams. 

*' The date when the troops came here to take 
the arsenal was sometime in February, 1861.. 



158 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

If you will go into Mfc. Holly cemetery and ex- 
amine the tombstone of Mary S. Causin (in the 
Barber lots), and find there the date of her 
death, you will find the date, for she died on 
the date the troops came." 

CLEBURNE'S ENTRY INTO MILITARY SERVICE. 

We have come to a point now where our hero 
is to set his compass and form new lines of ac- 
tion. These lines are to be run through dark 
and dangerous places. They are to lead him 
through the dark valley of the Mississippi 
river at Bird's Point, then across the surging 
billows of a tempestuous inland sea; thence 
across the mountains of Kentucky and upon 
which mountains he was to show himself a 
counterpart of the great Fabius Maximus, when 
he occupied the hills of Italy and held the 
great Hannibal in check. From thence his lines 
led him through the beautiful, rich and lovely 
plains of Tennessee, then through the rough 
and rugged hills and mountains of Georgia, 
finding him on the 27th of November, 1863, 
after the disastrous defeat at Missionary 
Ridge, guarding the entrance of a narrow gorge 
in the mountain called Ringold Gap, which he 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 159 

held with the pertinacity of a Spartan general 
and with the caution of the Roman emperor, 
Fabius Maximus. After following his beloved 
leader through the campaign of Georgia he finds 
himself following an unwilling leader back to 
the beautiful heights of Franklin, Tenn.,when 
he fell leading his men foremost in that des- 
perate and hopeless encounter. Cleburne be- 
lieved that the death warrant of the Confeder- 
acy had been sealed when Gen. Joseph E. 
Johnson was removed to give place to a leader 
who had nothing but courage and dash to rec- 
ommend him. Had the mantle of leadership 
fallen on Cleburne, instead of Hood, the army 
of the south would have gained a victory that 
would have insured far better terms of surren- 
der than was secured by this mad rush after 
military fame. If the administration was de- 
termined to remove Gen. Johnson, why did it 
not put a man as leader who never had been 
whipped, and knew as well how to retreat as 
how to advance? But the true historian must 
record mistakes as well as successes. Cle- 
burne by his military genius showed himself 
as competent to handle large bodies of men 
as small, for he was a born leader of men. As 



i6o Refniniscences of the Civil Vt^ar. 

Cleburne passed through Selma, Ala., I had an 
opportunity of exchanging a few words with 
him, as he was waiting for his car to move off. 
AVhen I asked him to give me his opinion of 
the move, he replied, " We are going to carry 
the war into Africa, but I fear we will not be 
as successful as Scipio was." 

Some orator, whose name I have forgotten, 
said in a speech before the Little Rock Memo- 
rial Chapter that " the south never was wrong 
— it stood upon the constitution and the law." 
This expression breathes the sentiment of every 
true southern man in what is called the dead 
Confederacy, but " there is life in the old land 
yet," and you might as well try to obliterate the 
spots upon the sun as to try to crush out the 
memor}^ of our brave heroes who sacrificed 
everything save honor. 

In order to make all true that I have 
written about our two generals, I have 
taken the pains to get all the informa- 
tion I could from those who were in possession 
of facts, and as Hindman was accused of bad 
generalship at the battle of Prairie Grove in 
not following up his victory over Blount, I ad- 
dressed the following note to my old friend and 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. i6r 

schoolmate, whom I was certain would give 
facts as he knew them. 

Little Rock, Ark., June 24, 1898. 

Col. Sam W. Williams, Little Rock, Ark. 

Dear Friend — Would jou kindly supply 
me with such facts as you are in possession of 
regarding Gen. Hindman's conduct at the bat- 
tle of Prairie Grove. Fraternally yours, 

C. E. Nash. 

Col. Williams replied as follows : 

Little Rock, Ark., June 28, 1898. 

Dr. C. E. Nash, Little Rock, Ark. 

While the battle of Prairie Grove was go- 
ing on, Gen. Holmes, the commander of the de- 
partment, was in constant telegraphic commu- 
nication with Gen. Hindman, and after the 
battle was gained Holmes ordered Hindman to 
fall back across the mountain to VanBuren. I 
was in the military service at the time and 
was in Gen. Holmes' office in the old State 
Bank building at the corner of Center and 
Markham streets, Little Rock, until midnight 
after the battle. I knew that Gen. Holmes 
was very uneasy all the while the battle was 
going on, and knew that after the tight he gave 
orders to fall back. I never knew why, as 
Holmes was reticent, but I thonght at the 
time that he feared Hindman might be 
crushed by a union of Herron and Blount, but 
as Hindman was ordered the next da}^ to come to 
Little Rock, I changed my mind and concluded 



1 62 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

Holmes feared an attack on Little Rock by 
way of Arkansas Post. 
Fraternally yours, Sam W. Williams. 

It will be seen by this and other information 
to follow that Hindman did not deserve the 
caustic criticism he received from Arkansas 
troops in the western department. 

The following information I received from 
Major A. J. Quindley, in a conversation with 
him, who states substantially the following 
facts : 

"I was adjutant of Thompson's cavalry regi- 
ment, Cabell's brigade, under Gen. T. C. Hind- 
man's command, at the battle of Prairie Grove, 
opposed by Gen. Blount's and Herron's com- 
mands. The battle was fought on the 7th of 
December, 1862. The fight commenced early 
Sunday morning. My cavalry command en- 
gaged Blount's infantry the greater part of the 
day in the neighborhood of Cane Hill. We 
made it hot for him, so much so that he 
retreated and joined the main Federal army 
at Prairie Grove, my command joining the main 
Confederate army under Gen. Hindman at 
Prairie Grove, and the battle continued until 
darkness closed in upon us, when we ceased 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 163 

firing, and our main army fell back, as we sup- 
posed, to rest for the night. I was left with my 
command on the battle field until a late hour in 
the night, when I received orders to fall back 
on the line (the main army was retreating). 
This was a cold, frosty night, with no moon- 
shine or brilliant stars to light our way. The 
next day we were ordered fco Yan Buren. From 
here Gen. Hindman moved towards Little Rock, 
while Cabell's command was ordered to cross 
the Arkansas river. Then our command fol- 
lowed the main army a part of the way, then 
turned back and went to Yan Buren. From 
there the command under Gen. Cabell operated 
in the Indian country, northwest Arkansas and 
Missouri, until the evacuation of Little Rock, 
when we moved south and joined the main 
Confederate army at Arkadelphia. It was the 
impression of the command that we were or- 
dered to retreat for want of ammunition. This 
I know was true of my cavalry brigade, as we 
had nearly exhausted all our ammunition." 



164 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

The following is a copy of a letter addressed 
to Judge T. J. Oliphint ; 

Little Rock, Ark., August 16, 1898. 

Judge T. J. Oliphint, Little Rock, Ark. 

Dear Sir — Knowing that you are one of Ar- 
kansas' noble patriots who served her in the 
struggle during our civil war, and that you 
have been one of the fortunate ones whose 
physical and mental strength has not failed 
you, and that the patriotic fires that burned in 
your breast in the long to be remembered dark 
days of 1861, and incidents occurring in that 
year, will be of great interest to your surviving 
comrades and their children, I would kindly ask 
you to furnish such incidents as you may think 
of interest to my readers. Please give from 
your own memory. 

Respectfully, C. E. Nash. 

Col. Oliphint replied, in his interesting way, 
as follows : 

"I esteem your letter as a compliment, 
but doubt the wisdom of placing in your 
interesting book a contribution from me. 
Cares more than business abstract my mind 
from the memory of those dark days of 1861, 
and the incidents of that memorable year and 
those that followed, yet I have ventured from 
my beclouded memory to pen you a few recol- 
lections which may interest, if not entertain, 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 165 

some who may chance to read them. The ob- 
jection I have to what I send you is it that ia 
disconnected and random, and smacks too 
much of the writer trying to impose his own 
biography on your book. 

'' It is a difficult task to abstract yourself from 
the busy cares of the present and live in mem- 
ory over the years of the war between the 
states, especially where the lapse of so many 
years have clouded the memory. Yet without 
being able to go into full detail, the recollec- 
tion of the patriotism of the people of the south 
is as vivid as ever. 

'' I venture no state representing the Confeder- 
ate cause responded to the call more freely 
than Arkansas, and no county more so than 
that of the writer's boyhood home, to wit : White. 
¥7ell do I remember the excitement, the bon- 
fires, the speeches stirring the young hearts to 
action, as well as the older. The sentiment of 
war was so strong and ran so high it was death 
to any one who should utter a word in opposi- 
tion, especially to manifest sympathy for the 
north. 

" The negroes were watched with jealous eye 
because we were taught by the leaders it waa 



i66 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

a war to free them, and this idea was strength- 
ened by the fact that we had abolition preach- 
ers at times through the country for years be- 
fore. But be it said of the race, they were our 
best allies, as they stayed with us and pro- 
duced largely that which the war consumed, 
and when in many sections the country was 
decimated of white men the negroes protected 
and supported the women and children. What 
at this late day illustrates the condition of the 
minds of the people at that time as much as 
anything else is the low estimate put upon the 
fighting qualities of the ' yankees,' as they 
were called. We were taught to believe that 
one southern man could whip at least five 
yankees ; they were no marksmen, but that 
we of the south who had from childhood been 
used to the gun were far superior to them. 
We learned however before the war closed that 
we were made of about the same " stuff," and 
many of us saw the time when one-half a 
yankee would be as much as we wanted to 
contend with. One of the leading spirits in 
my county in firing the youth for war said that 
he could take Mr. Travis' school girls and 
place them on Saladore mountain and keep back 



Rei?ziniscenccs of the Civil War. 167 

the army coming to Searcy from that direction. 

" One young man in Searcy stirred my young 
spirit more than anything else when he was 
placed on a hogshead and declaimed the 
speech of Patrick Henry, especially that part 
of it when he proclaimed, 'Give me libert}^ or 
give me death ! ' I boiled over when the Con- 
federate flag was presented to Capt. F. M. 
Chrisman, in the old Methodist church in 
Searcy, in March, 1861, and I proceeded to join 
a company which was organized at West 
Point, a little town about ten miles from 
Searcy, which was called the Hindman 
Guards, named for him who afterwards became 
famous as a general. 

" In a few days a transport lay at the landing 
awaiting my company to take it to Camp Rec- 
tor, a few miles above Memphis, and when the 
day arrived to go I will never forget the part- 
ing scene of mother, father, sisters, brothers 
and sweethearts. No man or boy who had en- 
listed bad the power to resist a tear, and hard 
hearted indeed was any one who witnessed the 
departure who did not also weep. Handker- 
chiefs fluttered from those on board and those 
ashore, until the boat hove around the bend 



1.68 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

and out of sight. No particular incident oc- 
curred on the way, and when we arrived at the 
camp we found companies from Pine Bluff, 
Clarendon, Helena and divers other places suf- 
ficient to form a regiment. One of the compa- 
nies from Helena, towit : the Yell rifles, 
was commanded by the afterwards great and 
heroic Cleburne. I never before nor since saw 
as fine a body of men, or as well drilled, as 
was the Yell rifles. When the order came 
to organize and elect field officers Pat Cle- 
burne was elected colonel, as I remember with- 
out opposition, and under him the writer took 
his first lessons in regimental drill. I think 
this election took place on the the 16tli day of 
April, 1861. The first three months of service 
was in state service. We rendezvoused on the 
Tennessee side, about forty miles above 
Memphis, and called the camp Fort Cleburne. 
An order came to move to Pitman's Ferry, in 
Randolph county, Ark., for the purpose of reor- 
ganization for Confederate service, and on arri- 
val we proceeded to do so. Many companies 
disbanded and elected new officers, and many 
companies went entirely to pieces, the men and 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 169 

officers going home or joining other companies 
and other cammands. 

'' The company of which the writer was a 
member was one that went to pieces, tlie men 
disposing of themselves as above mentioned, 
the writer going home, and in a week or two 
went via Memphis to Columbus, Kentucky, and 
from there to Felicianna in Graves county. At 
Oolumbus I saw for the first and last time Gen. 
Gideon J. Pillow, who gave me a pass to the 
command camped at Felicianna, called " Camp 
Beauregard." I connected myself with com- 
pany ' E ' in the tenth regiment Arkansas vol- 
unteers, commanded by Col. T. D. Merrick, and 
with this company I remained until after the 
battle of Shiloh, when I obtained a transfer to 
the trans-Mississippi department, Arkansas, 
where I joined the twelfth Texas dragoons, com- 
manded by Col. William H. Parsons. The 
company I joined was commanded by Capt. 
Ware. As orderly to Col. Parsons was ' Doc ' 
Kay burn, afterwards noted as a daring and 
successful scout. 'Doc,' as he was called, died 
at Squire Mann's about two miles from De 
Yall's Bluff soon after the war. With this 
regiment the writer remained until the fall of 



lyo Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

of 1863, when permission was obtained to re- 
cruit a company, and in connection with Capt. 
John McCoy raised a company, of which I was 
elected a lieutenant. This company was at- 
tached to the regiment called the forty- seventh 
cavalry, which was commanded by Col. Lee 
Crandall, now of national fame. A more gal- 
lant officer never wore the spurs. 

" The writer served for quite awhile as special 
scout for the regiment, with permission to select 
such men as I chose, and as many. Many ad- 
ventures could be recorded of captures, escapes, 
and entering the Federal lines by night, but it 
would make this chapter too long to do so. 
After quite a long and exciting campaign in 
Arkansas came the Missouri raid, in whicli the 
writer participated from beginning to end. 
When we passed the line of Arkansas and en- 
tered Missouri, I will never forget the scene 
of smoking ruins that was presented for miles ; 
to see women and little children in the frosty 
morning standing beside the embers, which but 
yesterday was a comfortable home, was a heart- 
rending scene. The next day, or maybe the 
day after, it was learned that the perpetrators 
of this terrible outrage had been captured in 



Reminiscences of the Civil War, i^r 

the person of Maj. Wilson and six men (one 
of which, however, was a sixteen year old boy). 
The men were being strongly guarded and 
marching with the column. 

" The writer being an officer, with more privi- 
leges than a private, took it upon himself to 
ride into Col. Reaves' regiment, who had charge 
of the prisoners ; and while there a body of 
men, who had charge of them, with Col. Reaves 
at the head, turned from the main road. We 
were traveling to the right, in the direction of 
a small mountain, and out of farther curiosity 
I followed and kept out of sight of them, as I 
supposed, as it was not difficult on account of 
the meanderings of the road through the thick 
growth on either side, and as the march with 
the prisoners was exceeding quiet and slow. 
They passed suddenly into the bed of a large 
creek and on to the other side, when I, without 
my wish, suddenly came in full view of the 
command in charge, and was discovered, when 
I assumed the boldness to march up with the 
rest. While thus stopped. Col. Reaves ad- 
dressed Maj. Wilson and told him that he had 
been ordered by Gen. Price to take them out 
and shoot them, when Maj. Wilson, looking 



172-. Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

straight into the eye of Col. Reaves, said, 
^ You do not mean to say that you are going 
to shoot us without a trial V To which Col. 
Reaves replied, 'You have been tried, and such 
are my orders,' and ordered ' forward.' Pass- 
ing on a short distance, a turn to the right was 
made in the direction of the mountain until a 
swag was reached on the edge thereof, when a 
halt was ordered and the prisoners placed close 
to the bottom of tlie swag, and the men detailed 
to shoot stationed above them, with a strong 
guard on the other side. 

" When the prisoners were placed in posi- 
tion to be shot, the boy heretofore men- 
tioned began to cry and take on at a terrible 
rate, saying, ' I have a widowed mother in Ar- 
kansas, and she is a good southern woman, and 
these men forced me to go witli them!' My 
sympathy was so aroused that I rode around to 
where the colonel was sitting on his horse, and 
said, ' Colonel, it looks hard to shoot that boy.' 
To which he replied, ' Yes ; but he is in bad 
company, and such are my orders.' While 
making ready to shoot the men, one of them 
detailed to do it came to me and asked me to 
let him have my pistol, and I told him I would 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 173 

if he would promise me he would not shoot the 
boy with it. He promised and I loaned him 
the pistol. Before the order to lire was given, 
Maj. Wilson and the men were asked ' if they 
had anything to say,' and none but the boy 
said anything, and he nothing more than I have 
stated. Maj. Wilson took his hat off and laid 
it on the ground in front of him, and he and 
the live others stood facing the detail, ap- 
parently without a tremor, but the boy con- 
tinued his cry. When the fire was ordered, 
Maj. Wilson was shot dead with many bullets. 
All were shot to the ground except the boy, 
who stood untouched, and a peremptory order 
was given to shoot again, when he fell dead. 
The men were stripped of their clothing, such 
as could be used as trophies, and especially 
Maj. Wilson, and they were left where they 
fell. How long after they were found I do 
not know, but heard they were soon found and 
Maj. Wilson taken to St. Louis. 

" Soon after the raid in Missouri I was cap- 
tured and taken to the state penitentiary at 
Little Rock, but after my imprisonment I kept 
concealed from any human being what I had 



1 74 Remifiiscences of the Civil War. 

seen as herein detailed, as it might not have 

been well for me ; at least I thought so. 

" When the war closed, we of my county who 
returned, found our people impoverished, yet 
patriotic — ' of the same opinion still,' — and each 
and all, with a few exceptions, vied with each 
-other in rendering the most help to build each 
other up. Truly we were a united people, and 
«o continued until for the love of gold some 
deserted to the enemies of the county and state. 
We were so united in feeling and sentiment 
that at one time after the war there were only 
thirty-seven republican voters in the county. 
Such unanimity as that, after the lapse of so 
many years, has somewhat subsided, yet a 
more neighborly feeling does not exist in any 
county than in this. White county was the 
scene of many skirmishes during the war, as 
well as daring exploits by soldiers doing scout 
duty. The writer was busy in some of those 
scenes, but will forbear to say anything per- 
sonal as to himself, and will leave that to 
others who could speak with probably more 
candor." 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 175 

After the fall of Memphis orders were given 
by the Confederate government to burn 
all the cotton within a certain distance of 
the river. This was about as foolish an or- 
der as the Federals could have given when 
they were expecting Lee to turn up at Washing- 
ton City and take the capital. They might have 
ordered all the gold and silver in the treasury 
melted up and made into golden vases and can- 
dlesticke to ornament churches, so as to keep it 
from falling into the hands of the Confederates. 
Cotton was our treasure, and the yankee manu- 
factories would have bought every pound of it 
wherever they could have gotten it from private 
citizens, and paid their gold for it. Then Con- 
federate money would have been worth more 
than greenbacks, and this would have given us 
the sinews of war, which is always necessary 
to carry on a war successfully. 

An amusing incident might be brought in 
here to show how judgment may be overruled 
by an excess of patriotism, but as this has been 
referred to in another part of this book, we will 
not bring it in here. 

In April, 1862, the river bottom was under 
water for twenty miles. Thousands of bales 



176 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

had been saved by putting them up in sheds 
above high water, and in this condition the 
cotton was found at the time the order was 
given to burn it. Confederate officers and men 
came out in large yawls to have the order exe- 
cuted. A company came to my plantation, 
and as the field was covered with water they 
approached from the back side. As they ap- 
proached the house I saw the officer and knew 
him. He laughed at our belligerent position,^ 
and said to the negroes, "We are friends, and 
have come with orders for your master to burn 
his cotton, to keep it from falling into the 
hands of the enemy." As I did not wish to 
take the low price of cotton, I had nearly two 
crops on hand. We went to the shed, and cut- 
ting the ties put a torch to the cotton. There 
were about one hundred and twenty bales dis- 
posed of in this way. The burning cotton, 
floating on the water, and carried down by the 
slow current, made a beautiful light, after the 
manner of the old fashioned oil lamp with the 
wick floating on the water below the 
oil. Hundreds of bales were floating on 
the water as far as the eye could reach, 
as every plantation was undergoing the 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 177 

same process. A large quantity of this 
burning and burnt cotton drifted upon the tops 
of small trees, and they looked as though they 
were topped with a brown hood. After the 
water went down much of this cotton was gath- 
ered up by the negroes and poor white women, 
and sold to Federal cotton buyers, who had 
permits from the commanding officer to visit 
that section and make purchases. They paid 
gold for the cotton, and many bales that had 
been run into the woods, and never seen fire, 
were sold also. The three men that went to 
the river with me were engaged in this busi- 
ness, though they afterwards made the bravest 
and best soldiers in any Mississippi regiment. 
One was shot through the kidneys, from the 
effects of which he died. The gold they ob- 
tained for this cotton was mostly given to the 
regiments raised in the bottom. Each family 
was allowed to retain five bales for domestic 
purposes. The yankees got my five bales v/itb- 
out compensation. 

We now come to the fall of Helena and its 
occupation by the Federals on the 4th of July,. 
1862. 



178 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

In April, 1862, the Federals captured Mem- 
phis, Tenn., and a short time afterwards sent 
their large gunboats to Helena to act in con- 
junction with Gen. Washburne's command 
who were advancing from White river. 
Helena was surrendered by the mayor without 
the fire of a gun, not even the little four pound 
cannon that brought to shore the steamer. 

Cleburne's brother-in-law commanded at 
the outbreak of the war. Cleburne fired this 
gun himself and threw a shot in front of her 
bow. When his relative promised him that 
his boat should not be used in Federal service, 
she was turned loose. Four pound cannons 
were big guns in those days, 1861. 

After the surrender of Helena some scouts 
were sent out to capture all the prominent 
political men thereabouts, on both sides of 
the Mississippi. At this time a Confederate 
force of one company was stationed at 
Austin, Miss. The officer in command wrote 
a letter to the writer, requesting him to go 
Into Helena at night and get all the in- 
formation he could about the number and 
stations of the Federal army. This letter was 
sent early in the morning, and two or three 



Reminiscences of the Civil IVar. 179 

neighbors were sitting on their horses waiting 
for me to accompany them to tlie Helena ferry 
and look over to see the big show tliat was put 
on exhibition by tlie Federals. I opened the 
letter and read the contents to them, then 
folding it up put it in my pocket. My wife, 
seeing that I had received a letter, became anx- 
ious to see its contents. She sent for me to 
come to the house. I gave her the letter to 
read, and although an enthusiastic Confeder- 
ate, she objected to my going on the mission, as 
she considered it a dangerous one. A woman 
has always more intuition than a man, and, 
while thinking the duty should be performed, 
thinks some one else should do it besides her 
husband. I left the room with the letter in my 
pocket. When I arrived at the gate she sent 
for me to return to the house. I refused to do 
so. She then told the servant to tell me to 
tear up the letter, as she was afraid it would 
get me into trouble. I complied with her re- 
quest and tore the letter up in large pieces, 
which was after several days picked up, put 
together and read. I did not suspect that the 
letter made me a spy, as I was totally unac- 
quainted with the rigid rules of war. 



i8o Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

We went down to the ferry landing, and sit- 
ting on the front gallery of the ferryman's 
house, indulging in jokes about yankee cow- 
ardice, a solid shot passed through the gallery 
and knocked up the earth just beyond us. This 
stopped the joking and the laughing, and a 
more serious aspect of affairs was observed. 
While meditating on the brittle thread of life 
in war times, our eyes were astonished by see- 
ing a squad of armed men rise up from under 
the bank, and with guns leveled on us, cried, 
" Halt ! " This company was commanded by a 
lieutenant of an Illinois regiment. He arrested 
me, but did not interfere with the others. The 
reason of this, I afterwards found out, was 
that those men had gone to Helena and 
taken the oath, and were selling cotton that 
they had liidden from the burners. They had 
more sense than* the government. I was taken 
and cast into the county jail and confined in a 
cell with a sick negro, there to await my trial 
before the court martial the next morning. I 
was taken from the jail the next morning by 
the lieutenant and taken before the court. The 
court was presided over by the provost marshal, 
Col. James H. O'Conner, of an Illinois regiment. 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. i8i 

Col. O'Conner was from Springfield, 111., where 
I had some dear relatives with whom he was 
well acquainted, who told him that if he ever 
went to Helena he must protect their relatives, 
mentioning the names of them, mine among the 
number. 

The colonel looked very ferocious at me, and 
then straightening himself up in his big chair, 
demanded of my accuser the charges he brought 
against me. When told that I was a political 
prisoner ; that I had been feeding Confederate 
soldiers, and that he had seen corn along the 
lane, and evidences of a large cavalry force, 
the colonel replied, " These charges are not 
sufficient to hold him;" and turning to me said, 
" I will release you if you will take the oath of 
allegiance to the Federal government." To 
this I replied, with emphasis, "I will not do 
it." I was then ordered back to jail. After 
being placed the second time in jail, the lieu- 
tenant came to the jail and said to me, that he 
had not brought the charge against me that 
would have cost my life. He then said, " You 
received a letter the morning I captured you, 
did you not ?" I replied, " I did." He replied, 
'' That letter makes you a spy." 



1 82 Re?niniscences of the Civil War. 

If the conditions had been the same as in 
the David Dodd case at Little Rock, I too 
might have died a military death by shooting 
and given up my life for my country, without 
my country ever having received any benefit 
from my sacrifice. But owing to a woman's 
intuition and other circumstances not to be 
mentioned here, my neck was saved. If I had 
thought that I was acting as a spy, I should 
not have accepted the trust, as there were too 
many dependent upon me for professional ser- 
vices and support. So you see, my reader, how 
ignorant civilians were of the strict construc- 
tion of military law. In a short time I was or- 
dered back to the provost. He asked me if I was 
now willing to take the oath. He showed me 
the oath. I told him I could not take it with- 
out mental reservation. He then wrote this 
oath : " I will not voluntarily take up arms 
against the government of the United States." 
To this I signed my signature, and put my par- 
don in my pocket. I never saw it afterwards. 
I did not take up arms, but I did the scalpel. 

This trial took place a little before sundown, 
and while it was going on Dr. H, M. Grant, 
Hon. Wm. K. Sebastian and Wm. F. Moore 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 183 

were scouring the banks to find a skiff to take 
me across the river home. Dr. Grant succeeded 
in finding one, an old half rotten skiff, below 
town, and secured Can. Underwood, who was an 
expert rower, to man the skiff. The skiff was 
brought up to the landing half full of water. 
Underwood and I were bailing it out when my 
wife, with her three weeks old babe in her arms, 
touched me on the back and said, " Husband, I 
have been looking for you all over town !" I 
said, " Wife, don't talk now, we must get home 
to the children ; I know they are frightened to 
death." She took her seat in the rear of the 
boat, and I continued bailing. We had gotten 
but a short distance from the shore when fire 
after fire was directed at the skiff. One bullet 
struck the boat just on the opposite side of 
where my wife and child were sitting, but too 
high above the water line to do any damage. 
Underwood says, "Let's turn back, doctor; 
they will hit some of us." I said. " Pull harder ! 
every lick will take us out of their range." 
By this time the waves began to roll high. An- 
other shot struck the bow of the boat about 
two inches above the water line, and as the 
waves were running high, the water poured in 



184 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

at this opening. I immediately tore oif my 
shirt sleeve and stopped the hole. By this time 
we had gotten out of the range of the bullets, 
as we could hear them strike the water behind 
us. Black darkness now closed in upon us, 
but the phosphorescent light was enough for 
us to see where we were going, with the aid of 
our experienced oarsman, who had crossed the 
river hundreds of times looking after his trot 
lines. By hard work and the dint of courage 
we landed about two miles above the ferry 
landing, in the woods. The skiff was half full 
of water, and we had to walk through it to get 
out. Just as the last one debarked the old 
vessel went down to rise no more. Though she 
bad made many successful voyages across the 
raging stream, and had carried many pounds of 
freight, we opine whether she had ever carried 
so rich a cargo before. iShe must have realized 
this fact, as she did not go down until she had 
made her last and best efforts. 

We now took our journey homewards. 
The woods were so dark that we could not find 
the small path that led along the bank of the 
river. As I knew tlie woods well, and we had the 
baby to carry, I told my wife we would make our 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 185 

way to the ferry, and there I could get a buggy 
from the ferryman, and, dark as it was, could 
get on the public road and get home before 
daylight. This we did, wending our way over 
large trees and drift that had floated upon the 
banks after an overflow. 

While I am writing this my granddaughter 
is playing and singing " Comin' Through 
the Rye," but I think if the loveliest 
maid in Christendom could have met us 
that night she would have need to '' cry." I 
wonder if somebody hasn't discovered the mu- 
sical microbe, and the number of gyrations it 
makes to produce a sound wave ! 

We arrived at the ferry after much fatigue 
and hard labor, just as the first cock crow was 
announcing the coming of day. The horse was 
hitched and the buggy brought out and the 
cargo of live flesh — the dearest to us of any flesh 
on earth — placed therein. A good whip was 
found in the holder, and as the horse was a 
little lazy was applied freely. The big road 
was the county road. Il was smooth and with- 
out stumps, so we made the horse do his best 
trotting. It was just five miles from the ferry 



1 86 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

landinoj to our home, and we arrived there at 
the dawn of day. 

I forgot to say that after my capture, the 
lieutenant went back and got my fine five hun- 
dred dollar slasher mare, with a fine seventy- 
five dollar saddle made to order by Mr. Opp, 
the fine saddler of Helena. 

We found that old granny Imd hidden 
the children under the bed, and their little 
hearts were panting as if for want of breath. 
Of course the meeting was pathetic and there 
are many such scenes in daily life but not in 
war times. I learned afterwards that a com- 
pany had been placed on the bank of the river 
to stop any boat from crossing the river with- 
out permission from the commanding oflicer, as 
there were many deserters from their army 
making their escape in that way. They were 
firing on us through mistake. 

This closes the first scene of our military 
life. No war can be said to be strictly civil- 
ized. All wars are barbarous and uncivilized. 
Gen. Forrest gave the best definition of war 
when he said, " War means to fight, and 
fight means to kill." 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 187 

In order to make our sketch complete, I must 
speak of the battle of Helena on the 4th of 
July, 1863. If this battle had ever been given 
in detail it would not be brought in here, and 
as I was not present, nor within fifty 
miles of our beloved town, where I first un 
folded my saddlebags in 1849, will have to rely 
on those for information that were in the fight. 
If my criticisms upon the general manage- 
ment of the battle, drawn from my knowledge 
of the topography of the country-— which infor- 
formation was acquired by riding all the hog 
paths by da}^ and night for twenty j^ears — and 
a perfect knowledge of its citizens, seem 
harsh when speaking of our causeless defeat, 
I may be excused. 

Gen. Holmes made as great a mistake 
in this fight as he made in ordering 
the retreat of Hindman at Prairie Grove. 
Why Gen. Holmes should have marched his 
brave, fearless Arkansans around the foot of 
Crowley's Ridge and placed them between the 
gunboats and the forts upon the hills, and have 
them slaughtered, when he could have ad- 
vanced in the rear of the forts, with a high 
broken country, filled with springs of cool, 



i88 Reinitiiscences of the Civil War. 

crystal waters, with an enthusiastic people 
willing to give their last mouthful for the sup- 
port of the army, and even the patriotic women 
willing to give up their riding horses and their 
sons of twelve to sixteen years old for the 
fight, is a problem for a school boy to solve. 
^If the immortal Cleburne had been in command 
six hours of the engagement he would have 
captured the whole of the Federal army, posts 
and all, and with a strong battery placed at the 
mouth of the St. Francis river had the Federal 
gunboats between Helena and that place, and 
have held them until Gen. J. R. Chalmers with 
his Mississippi regiment and artillery would 
have caused a surrender. 

Gen. Chalmers was delayed by the heavy 
rains causing the bottom land to become very 
spongy, which made it difficult for him to 
move his heavy artillery and cavalry at a 
speed sufficient to join Holmes' army on the 
Arkansas side at the beginning of the fight. 
Chalmers did not get within fiv^e miles of the 
ferry landing before the fight was over and its 
results communicated to him by a courier. 

Chalmers then withdrew from the Mississippi 
river and took up his headquarters at Her- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 189 

nando, Miss., and afterwards fought the battle 
of Cold Water, near Senatobia. This battle 
was fought against a large Federal force under 
the command of Gen. Smith, whose headquar- 
ters was at Memphis, Tenn. In this battle 
Gen. Chalmers was joined by Gen. Shelby of 
the Missouri Confederate army. One hundred 
and lifty horses, several prisoners and several 
pieces of artillery were the trophies of this 
battle. Smith retreated hastily to Meniphis^ 
and there remained quietly for some time. 
This was the only fight the writer was ever in, 
and not in this as a soldier, but as a surgeon. 
An incident might be brought in here of 
peculiar interest to many of my readers and of 
some value to surgeons. A Missourian and a 
Mexican were wounded close to the water of 
the river. The Missourian was shot by a 
minnie ball through the shoulder, cutting the 
brachial artery, from whence the blood was 
flowing rapidly. I was rushed into his pres- 
ence through shot and shell, and making a 
torniquet of my silk handkerchief, succeeded 
in stopping the blood, and sent him to the rear. 
When told that he might die, he replied, "I 
wish I had a thousand lives, that I might give 



190 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

them all for my country." He recovered. The 
little Mexican had seven balls shot into his left 
thigh and leg. Five of these balls had to be 
extracted, and while I was cutting he was 
smoking an old cob pipe the old lady of the 
house had furnished him. No chloroform was 
used in either case, as I had none. When I 
asked him if it did not hurt, he replied in half 
Spanish, " Who cares for that !" Both of these 
men recovered and joined their commands, and 
fought through the war. 

The details of the Helena battle was to have 
been furnished for this book by an officer in 
command ; but as this officer was absent while 
1 was engaged in writing about this battle, I 
could not get his description, and will have to 
content myself with what has been given. 

CLEBURNE'S POSITION UPON THE MEMORIAL TO 
PUT SLAVES IN THE ARMY. 

Wliile the memorial set forth some of the 
strongest reasons for taking so important a 
step, the whole country, slave owners and non 
slave owners, were violently opposed to the 
measure, asserting that they were not lighting for 
slaves but for a separate government. Consid- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War, 191 

ering that the compact between the states form- 
ing rhe Federal government had been violated, 
and if in one instance could be in another, 
they therefore held tenaciously to the old 
democratic government of state's rights. The 
writer heard it often remarked in Selma, Ala., 
that if President Davis favored such a scheme, 
they would abandon the cause of the Confed- 
eracy and return to the union on any terms. 
Some suggested that if the plan was adopted 
we w(mld become recruiting agents for the 
Federal army ; that the negroes would use 
their guns against their former owners, and they 
would also become the worst spies upon all our 
movements. 

Cleburne did not think so, though he never 
owned a slave, but had been intimately con- 
nected with those who did, and had learned the 
great attachment that existed between master 
and slave. Slaves were considered a part of 
the household, and never allowed to work in 
places of danger to life or health. Irishmen 
were engaged to do all the ditching and levy- 
ing that had to be done in the hot summer 
months and cold winter days. Taking this 
view of the situation, Cleburne was in favor of 



IQ2 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

enlisting them, if they desired it, with the 
promise that all who should be honorably dis- 
charged at the close of the war should have 
their freedom. This in the writer's opinion 
would have been the best plan to have adopted. 
An incident might be brought in here to 
show the great attachment some slaves had for 
their owners. After the fall of Memphis, Tenn., 
large skiffs were sent out by the Confederates 
to burn all the cotton within ten miles of the 
river. My plantation was within two miles of 
the river, and I was at that time on the place. 
This was in April, 1862, when the land was 
covered with water for twenty miles. As the 
field lay between the house and the river we 
could see the men coming in a large skiff" with 
uniforms on and armed with guns. At that 
distance we could not distinguish the color of 
the uniform. Of course, hearing of the fall of 
Memphis, we naturally supposed they were Fed- 
erals. All the negro men, with their families, 
were in the gin house. Upon seeing this skiff 
filled with armed men every man seized his ax 
and came to the house, arranged themselves in 
a line on the gallery, and said they would de- 
fend us to the death. Cleburne knew these 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 1^3 

men and their devotion to their owners. We 
were rejoiced to see that the occupants of the 
skiff were Confederates and were only out to 
take the order for burning cotton. There were 
a few roving, restless spirits among the ne- 
groes, as there always has been in the human 
race, longing to change their condition, whether 
for good or evil. These might have given 
trouble, but would have been largely overbal- 
anced by the true and loyal. In furtherance 
of this view the writer witnessed one thousand 
able bodied men, who had been sent to work 
on the fortifications at Montgomery, Ala., offer 
their services to assist in the defense of Selma, 
to which place the Federals were rapidly ap- 
proaching, but their services could not be 
accepted, as the officers in command were not 
allowed to arm them. They proved loyal to 
their masters and their families to the last, re- 
maining on the plantations and working peace- 
ably. 

THE BATTLE OF FRANKLIN. 

The sun was just sinking behind the west- 
ern hills and his farewell beams fell full on the 
glittering swords of the enemy. Cleburne's fate 
now seemed sealed, for he was blocked in front 



194 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

and rear, while his flanks were constantly 
ravaged by the enemy. Disdaining however 
to yield he made an impetuous charge, as if his 
last, and fell pierced by a minnie ball through, 
the heart. 

Cleburne's courage was not the rashness of 
headlong excitement, like that of some generals. 
The enthusiasm born in the hour of battle amid 
the tossing of plumes, the tramping of the host, 
the shout of trumpets and roar of cannon has 
always been found sufficient to hurl man into 
any scene of horror or peril. There is a hero- 
ism called forth by sudden emergencies, such 
as the commonest soldier often exhibits in the 
heat of battle. Cleburne's courage was some- 
thing more and greater. It dared just as much 
without the least excitement. His thoughts 
were just as clear and his eye as quiet amid the 
falling ranks, as if he were standing upon the 
<;ap of an adjacent hill looking over the scene 
of slaughter. He could give orders as calmly 
in the heat of battle as though manoeuvreing at 
a grand review. He would stand within mus- 
ket shot of a most terrific and hotly worked 
battery, and while the storm of bullets swept 
where he stood he would eye its operations and 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. loC 

scan its assailable points with imperturbable 
quietness. 

The smoke rolled over the dark hills like 
that of a burniug forest ; the sun went down in 
gloom ; the dead were piled on the ground ; 
nor did this sanguinary battle close with the 
setting sun, it carried its rolling waves of flame 
far into the night. It was after night that Cle- 
burne fell. This virtually closed the war in 
the east. 

Thus it may be seen that all his facul- 
ties did not terminate in his bravery. We 
had some officers in our army who, like Bona- 
parte, rated all military leaders low but them- 
selves. Every battle he was engaged in 
pronounced their declarations false. He was 
always placed in the rear when the army was 
retreating, simply because he was a brave and 
true man. At the battle of Franklin a bound- 
less field was open to his enthusiastic imagina- 
tion. He won the admiration of all by his 
activity, force and bravery. Borne away by 
his earnest courage and panting for distinction, 
he showed on this terrible day the traits of a 
true warrior. He moved his guns up to within 
a few yards of the enemy's lines, and then 



196 Remifiiscences of the Civil War. 

poured a destructive fire into their ranks. He 
filled Hardee's most sanguine expectations. 
Cleburne's dispatches were always clear and 
forcible, not like Napoleon said of Marmont's, 
that they have more trash and complications 
than an old clock. 

Cleburne had great breadth of character and 
fixedness of will, and his care for the safety and 
comfort of his men created a bond of affection 
between him and the meanest soldier, and in- 
creased their love and respect for him. He had 
not the genius of some of our generals, but he 
possessed in its place a well balanced mind, 
with strong common sense. He afl'ected neither 
sumptuousness of living nor brilliancy of style. 
There was the same simplicity in his language 
when general as when a private in Cowley's 
company. He seemed utterly unconscious of 
the pett}^ ambitions and rivalries which so dis- 
turb the happiness of others, but moved 
straight forward in the path of duty, without 
any concern for himself. The tear of a poor 
soldier moved him more than the baubles of 
rank or fame, and it is the greatest eulogy that 
can be passed on him when it is said that 
amid all the changes and turbulent scenes and 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 197 

temptations he passed through, he never lost 
his sympathetic heart. His soldiers worshiped 
him, nor was it strange ; not one of them ever 
applied to him in vain, and this bound him to 
them with cords of steel. In his last struggle 
at Franklin they were more anxious about his 
life than their own, often importuning him to 
retire from the front; but he resisted all efforts 
to stay his charge, and fell at the head of his 
gallant command. 

The whole army which had become accus- 
tomed to heroic deeds beheld this charge with 
amazement ; and Cleburne's memory was firmly 
fixed in the hearts of his countrymen. Words 
cannot convey the distress and sympathy that 
went through the whole army when the news 
of his death reached its rank and file. Tears 
trickled down the cheeks of old warriors and 
wild shouts of grief could be he heard from all 
quarters accompanied with the words, " Cle- 
burne has fallen 1" — the good, the brave and 
generous Cleburne. 

His uniform was riddled with balls, singed 
and blackened with powder, while his war horse 
''Old Pepper" was streaked with foam and 
blood. Cleburne was not fighting for glory in 



19B Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

itself, but from high, pure, patriotic motives, be- 
lieving in the justice of his cause, and con- 
scientious in his motives. 

Hood had an opportunity of escaping as the 
moon rose full and large from behind the 
mountains. 

It is difficult in a single sketch to do justice 
or convey any correct idea of what he accom- 
plished in his military career. His qualities 
were rather solid than brilliant, and the field 
on which he was compelled to exhibit them, 
the most unfavorable that could be given him, 
never operating on a very large scale as a 
commander of a corps, still he was placed in 
the most difficult and dangerous positions. 
He did not shine in the reflected glory of Lee's 
genius. The only halo around his head is that 
which his own actions have made. Cleburne 
was one of those well balanced characters 
which is known more by what it accomplishes 
than by any striking features it exhibits. 

The writer disclaims any intention of magni- 
fying the character or detracting from the virtues 
of this truly illustrious man. In the narra- 
tives of the first part of his life, I confined my- 
self to the truth of what I recollect, and being 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 199 

intimately associated with Gen. Cleburne as liis 
bosom friend and companion, I believe my 
statement will be as near correct as human 
memory will allow. That some of the inci- 
dents of his life may aj^pear simple to the 
reader, doubtless is true ; but in giving the his- 
tory of a man we must give the small as well 
as the great incidents of his life. In drawing a 
pen picture we must be as observant of the 
shades of character as the artist is in selecting 
his colors. 

CLEBURNE'S FUNERAL. 

His few remaining followers who had battled 
by his side to the last pressed in silence 
around the coffin, and with tears streaming 
down their faces reached out their hands to 
touch the pall. There lay the general they 
had loved, the leader they had followed, cold 
and stiff in death. Oh, the tears of those 
rough warriors were worth more than all the 
pomp and magnificence imperial pride could 
render an honored patriot for whom they were 
shed, more than royal eulogies or splendid pa- 
geants. He was a skillful commander, a bold 
warrior and true friend ; wise in counsel, of 



300 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

pure patriotism and unsullied honor, lie was 
beloved by his friends and had no enemies. 

A beautiful monument stands in the Ever- 
green cemetery at Helena, Ark., erected by the 
ladies of the Confederacy. Its commanding 
position suggests the high esteem in which he 
was held by his countrj^men ; but the noblest 
monument is in the hearts of the brave Arkan- 
sas boys who followed him with love and 
enthusiasm to his last resting place. 

The empire of the Confederacy had departed 
forever; the combined Federal and hired sol- 
diery were too numerous, and the immense 
wealth of the nation being in their treasury, 
which Andrew Jackson said was the sinews of 
war. But state's rights, for which we were 
battling, did not go down in obscurity, but has 
slowly settled back to its ancient place, yet 
not to its ancient strength. The principles of 
state's rights still lives in the hearts of all 
American freemen. 

It may be as that great and good man, Robt. 
Hall, said of the battle of Waterloo, " I felt as 
if the clock of the world had gone back six 
ages." But I do not think it will take so long 
for the pendulum of individual freedom, as 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 201 

taught in our constitution, to settle back to its 
proper position in the politics of the world. 

The prejudice and falsehood that has loaded 
the south with treason begins already to be 
detected, and every year will see those preju- 
dices and sufferings of the war rolled from her 
shoulders and laid at the door of her ac- 
cusers. 

The above was written in the early part of 
1894. We now have the gratifying consolation 
to know that the prophecy is fulfilled, for the 
gray and blue are standing side by side, musket 
in hand, shooting at a common enemy who has 
dared to insult the stars and stripes of our 
common country, notwithstanding the infrac- 
tion that had been made in the constitution. 

Speaking of our late war, Mr. W. P. Harri- 
son uses the following language : " And as the 
years multiply, separating us from the the hor- 
rors of the struggle of 1861, the impartial hand 
of the muse of history will sharpen the pen 
and fill the pages of the great volume of our 
story with the records which prejudice and 
passion may falsify, but cannot destroy." 



202 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

BATTLE OF RICHMOND, KY. 

After Cleburne's regiment was transferred to 
the Confederate service at Bird's Point, Ark., 
he went to Kentucky, and at Richmond fought 
his first engagement of note with the enem}^. 
He was then colonel, but by meritorious service 
on that occasion was promoted to brigadier 
general, and this promotion was over the heads 
of many West Pointers, a compliment he 
highly valued. At this battle he was wounded 
in the left cheek, the ball passing through the 
flesh and knocking out two of his jaw teeth. 
He told me he caught the ball in his mouth 
and spit it out. His horse was killed under 
him. When he showed the wound to me the 
scar was covered by thin whiskers, which so 
obscured it that it could not be discerned with- 
out parting the hair. In this fight his Arkan- 
sas boys, made up of the best material that 
enlisted in the Confederate service, earned for 
themselves the name of " Invincibles," which 
name they maintained with honor until the 
close of the war. 

Mr. Hempstead says this regiment — second 
Arkansas — served first in northwest Arkansas 



Re7niniscences of the Civil War, 203 

and Missouri, and took part in the battle of 
Oak Hill, August 10, 1861, and of Elkhorn, 
March 7, 1862. I am credibly informed that 
this regiment did not take part in the battle of 
Oak Hill in 1861, as it had been transferred to 
the eastern department under Albert S. John- 
son. This regiment never returned to Arkan- 
sas until the war was ended. 

It will be seen by this that Hindman was not 
in the battle of Richmond, Ky., as he was at 
that time engaged in organizing the Arkansas 
and Texas volunteers for Confederate service. 

Cleburne and Hindman vied with each other 
for the first honors. It might be said that 
these two contestants kept equal pace until the 
covering of Johnson's retreat from Kennesaw 
Mountain by Cleburne. When the first, under 
Cleburne, was assigned the important position 
of covering this retreat and making the suc- 
cessful defense at Ringold Gap, when the first 
regiment Arkansas infantry made a reputation 
that will be handed down to posterity as the 
greatest military stroke of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. In this engagement we must take off our 
hats and bow to the first Arkansas regiment, as 
all brave military heroes will do. It was here 



204 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

that the wreath of honor was placed upon the 
brow of their noble leader and a rosette placed 
upon the lappel of every brave soldier under 
his command, and be it remembered that he 
always placed his favorite regiment of Arkan- 
sas bo3^s in front in a desperate charge, and in 
the rear in an honorable retreat. 

While the army was retreating over the high 
hills Cleburne's forces stood like protecting 
angels behind them. Pushing his small army 
between them and the foe, they received the 
fire of the mad cavalry flushed with victory into 
their own bosoms, and bearing bravely up, sent 
death dealing blows into their pursuing ranks 
and turned them back upon the advancing col- 
umns of their own men. Each dark summit 
suddenly became illuminated, while the guns 
thundering at the heads of the columns below, 
led them steadily on to the shock. The earth 
groaned under that living weight, and the deep 
roar that rose from its bosom rolled in ominous 
echoes over the heights on which Cleburne 
stood. 

The retreat from Kennesaw mountain was 
the brightest jewel in Cleburne coronet, and 
there is not one which bears a jewel more bril- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 205 

liant. Perhaps there is no better illustration 
of his firmness, courage and force combined 
than the manner in which he covered the re- 
treat of Johnson's army. 

"All war is cruel," Cleburne remarked to 
me at Selma, Ala. His heart was softened and 
overcome by the terrible slaughter of the ene- 
my's calvary as he pursued the retreating 
army up the mountain. He said they fell like 
pins upon a tenpin alley struck by a center 
shot. He was about thirty-five years old 
when he made this gallant military move. His 
brigade was called " the terrible," as it was the 
counterpart of Stonewall Jackson's cavalry 
brigade. With his eye flashing fire and the 
smoke of battle wreathing in clouds around 
him, he strode on in front of his gallant band 
like some war god of old. 

With a heart untamed and a will unsub- 
dued he hovered like a protecting spirit around 
the flying ranks of his countrymen. There 
were long intervals when not a drum or trum- 
pet note broke the muffled tread of the retreat- 
ing columns on the rear of such an enemy, and 
in sight of such horrors did Cleburne combat. 
Nothing but a spirit unequaled as fate itself 



3o6 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

could have sustained him or kept alive the 
flagging courage of his men. Now ordering a 
march with the skill of a general, and now 
with musket in hand fighting like a common 
soldier, the moral force of his example ac- 
complished what authority alone never could 
have done. In this retreat all discipline would 
have been lost but for the sway which the 
safety mind, rather than outward command, 
Cleburne held over his men. His kindness to 
the sufferers, and his care for the wounded, 
and the great generosity and self denial he ex- 
hibited, were more potential than discipline to 
bind this devoted band to him. 

In his retreat from Kennesaw mountain, 
when the enfilade fire took place at Ringold 
Gap, a scene followed which made Cleburne's 
heart faint. The dead and dying, wounded 
animals and men were heaped together with 
groans and yells mingled together, and the 
blood of horses and men ran in one common 
current down the side of the mountain. 

The shrieks of the writhing victims, that 
rose up through the thick columns of 
smoke that rolled darkly over them, were far 
and more appalling and filled both contestants 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 207 

with consternation. All was silent on plain 
and mountain save the loud groans and pray- 
ers that rose from the wounded and dying 
as they lay weltering in their own blood. 

Cleburne had been accused by some of his 
jealous comrades of having nothing but per- 
sonal bravery, but when you read the history 
of the retreat of Johnson's army from Kenne- 
saw Mountain, and see how skillful he covered 
its retreat, stationing his men on either side of 
the road, making an enfilade fire, thereby mow- 
ing down the enemy as wheat falls before the 
skillful mower, you must give him something 
more than bravery ; indeed, to cover the retreat 
of that army was as great a stragetic move- 
ment as was made during the whole war. This 
alone would have distinguished him, had he 
performed nothing more. 

GEN. T. C. HINDMAN'S MILITARY CAREER. 

After Hindman's resignation from the Federal 
congress in 1861, he came home and by a com- 
mission from President Davis raised a bat- 
talion in eastern Arkansas. In this effort he 
was greatly assisted by Dr. Aurelius A. Horner, 
whom he appointed surgeon, and who remained 



2o8 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

assistant surgeon to Hindman's division during 
the war. Dr. Horner had charge of the military 
hospital at Montgomery in 1863, and rendered 
efficient service in his profession, making many 
friends amongst the unfortunate sick and 
wounded soldiers. This battalion in Mr. 
Hempstead's history of Arkansas is called the 
second Arkansas infantry. If this is correct, 
it shows that Phillips county furnished the 
first two regiments and the first two colonels to 
command them. Giving this county the hon- 
orable distinction of being first in war and last 
in peace, as Arkansas troops were last to sur- 
render. 

It is not the purpose of the writer to give 
in detail the battles our two distinguished 
generals were engaged in, as it would make the 
two biographies the history of the war. It is 
only my purpose to show that these two Ar- 
kansans had command of the entire number of 
Arkansas troops in both divisions of the army, 
also to show that they could have chosen no 
two men of greater military genius. 

Mr. Fay Hempstead says, " Upon this regi- 
ment was built the Hindman legion," but says 
it was not recorded by that name. I object to 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 209 

its being called " Hindman legion," and would 
suggest a more appropriate and more apropos 
name, " legion of honor," as every man in the 
regiment was an honorable as well as a brave 
man. As the weight of honor fell upon the 
men, I think the suggestion a good one. It i& 
not to be understood that I am trjdng to detract 
anything from the battalion's great leader, but 
to place honor where honor is due. Hindman's 
battalion was ordered to Bowling Green, Ky., 
in the summer of 1861, and I am informed was 
never in any battle west of the Mississippi 
river. Hindman came alone to organize a new 
army of conscripts from Arkansas and Texas 
in 1862. 

This army that Hindman organized in the 
summer of 1862 he made so efficient that in 
less than six months it fought the battle of 
Prairie Grove like veterans, under command of 
its skillful and brave leader, T. C. Hindman. 
He did it very efficiently and expeditiously. 

Mr. Hempstead, speaking of the Yell rifles, 
Capt. Cowley's company, as the first company 
organized in the state, says, ''Four members of 
this company were made generals, two major 
generals, viz.: Cleburne and Hindman, major 



2io Remifiiscences of the Civil War. 

generals; Tappan and Polk, generals." None 
of the three latter were members of the Yell 
rifles. They raised companies for themselves. 

Mr. Hempstead also pays Gen. Hindman a 
high compliment when he says : " This sec- 
ond regiment, commanded by Col. Thos. C. 
Hindman, was in all the battles on the west 
side of the Mississippi river, until they were 
transferred to the eastern department. Then 
in all the battles of Johnson's and Hood's 
campaign through Tennessee and Georgia 
when opposing Sherman, even down to the 
battle of Bentonville, JST. C, March 19, 1865. 
It participated in over forty pitched battles. 
Col. Hindman, its original colonel, became first 
a brigadier and then a major general." 

It will be seen by the records that the first 
and second regiments were commanded by the 
two great generals of Phillips county. 

Col. Hindman was always willing to accord 
honor to the gallant leader of Arkansas' picked 
soldiers, who were the first to be mustered into 
the Confederate service and immediately trans- 
ferred to the eastern department where the 
fight was raging hottest. 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 211 

The brigade was commanded by Gen. D. 
C. Govan. A more gallant leader and brave 
soldier never smelt gunpowder, and the general 
had numerous opportunities of smelling the 
sulphurous smoke from the batteries of a wor- 
thy foe. Govan's brigade was in Cleburne's 
division. 

I have often heard Gen. Cleburne speak in 
the highest terms of Gen. Govan. It will be 
seen by this that Gen. Govan was one of the 
three distinguished generals who went out 
from Phillips county. Govan added another 
laurel to the brow of Arkansas. At the battle 
of Pea Ridge, Col. Hindman wrote a letter to 
his wife, the day before the battle, in which 
he stated that he expected to engage the 
Federal troops under Col. Peter E. Bland, of 
Missouri, and that he expected to capture his 
whole command, in which event he would send 
her cousin to Helena and put him under her's 
and Dr. Nash's charge. He did not capture the 
colonel; he and his command were too swift in 
a retreat to be caught. This Col. Bland was 
half-uncle to the writer and a second cousin to 
Mrs. Hindman. 



212 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

The Hindman battalion was commanded by 
the following officers : Thomas C. Hindman, 
colonel (appointed by President Davis, not 
elected) ; J. W. Bocage, lieutenent colonel ; 
J. W. Scaife, major; Charles E. Patterson, ad- 
jutant ; Dr. Anrelius A. Homer, surgeon ; Rev. 
Samuel Crawley, chaplain. All the officers ex- 
cept Col. Hindman were elected. 

At this battle Col. Hindman showed himself 
fully competent to take charge of a larger body 
of men. He was considered the best organizer 
in the Confederate service. It was phenomenal 
how quickly he organized, drilled and had 
prepared for service, with all the arms and 
equipments and military stores necessary for 
active service. And when it is remembered 
how scant the supplies were at that time, 
compelling him to resort to harsh measures to 
obtain them, it becomes more astonishing. This 
was all accomplished in the remarkably short 
time of six months. Of course the enthusiam 
had grown so rapidly that recruits came in from 
every quarter. This army distinguished itself 
in all the battles of the trans-Mississippi de- 
partment. Many of my old school mates and 
friends distinguished themselves in battles of 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 213 

the west, and were we writing up their biogra- 
phies could mention many heroic deeds and 
as much skillful generalship as was displayed 
by their comrades in the east. When Hindman 
was ordered back to the eastern department 
he did not take any of his men with him, but 
assumed command of his old regiment, then 
with Gen. Bragg, in Kirby Smith's division. 
Soon after his arrival he was promoted to 
general for meritorious service rendered in Ark- 
ansas and Texas. 

To show my readers that I have not been too 
extravagant in my eulogies of our two great 
heroes, I will quote from Mr. Hempstead's 
history of Arkansas. Mr. Hempstead took 
great pains and spent much time and labor in 
getting up the information he has imparted to 
his readers. He says, in speaking of the fourth 
Arkansas regiment : " The fourth regiment 
was first in the brigade of Gen. Ben McCullough 
in Arkansas, and east of the Mississippi was in 
Gen. T. J. Churchill's brigade, afterwards com- 
manded by Gen. E. McNair, and called McNair's 
brigade, and afterwards commanded by 
Gen. D. H. Reynolds. After Gen. Reynolds 
was wounded at the battle of Bentonville, Col. 



2 14 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

H. G. Bunn, of the fourth, commanded the 
brigade. It served in Arkansas, Missouri, Ken- 
tucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and 
North Carolina." The regiment belonged to 
( Cleburne's division, one of the best divisions in 
the Confederate army, and one that did as 
much hard fighting as any command in the 
whole war, and was at one time in Polk's corps, 
and again in Hardee's. It bore its full share in 
the great conflict from first to last. 

In furtherance of what we have said of the 
difficulties Hindman had in equipping this 
army in the beginning of the war (this was 
previous to Hindman's organizing the army of 
Arkansas and Texas — it was in 1861), I will 
again quote Mr. Hempstead. He says : " Com- 
panies 'A' and ' B ' were armed with shotguns, 
companies ' C,' ' D,' *F' and 'G' had mostly 
squirrel rifles, company ' E ' had flint lock 
muskets, all muzzle loaders, and company ' H ' 
had Hall rifles, a breach loading gun, with 
the hammer in front of the chamber, a style of 
firearm nicknamed 'The Old Saw Mill.' As 
for cartridge boxes, bayonets, cap boxes and 
belts, they were almost unknown in the com- 
mand. They bad good, home made tents, and 



Reminiscenpes of the Civil War. 215 

the transportation consisted of at least two 
good four or six mule wagons to the company." 
These men would have charged the enemy with 
barlow knives and brickbats had they nothing 
better at hand. It was only for lack of these 
kind of heroes that the Confederacy lost. All 
they lacked was a "little more grape, Capt. 
Bragg." 

At the surrender of Johnson's arm}^ at Ben- 
tonville, ]^. C, Hindman did not surrender — 
he preferred to take his chances in Mexico, 
which was then under the administration of 
that most conservative republican, Gen. Diaz, 
and cast his lot with the Mexicans, rather than 
submit to the indignities that would be offered 
him by the Federals. Hindman knew he had 
many political enemies in that party, which he 
had made while in the Federal congress. He 
was considered a fire eater of the Salamander 
type. They could almost see the fiery sword 
drawn from his mouth as the fiery words pro- 
ceed from his lips. They accused him of 
leading Arkansas into a boiling caldron, which 
was not to cease boiling until the fuel — the fiery 
blood — should be withdrawn. They were right 
in their conceptions, for the caldron boiled four 



3i6 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

years, and did not cease until the Federal 
lancet had been many times applied to the 
burning veins. Hindman remained in Mexico 
a little over a year, and finding the Federals 
wanted peace, and they had turned Jefferson 
Davis loose, thought there might be a good 
chance for his pardon. 

Hindman was accused by some of his Con- 
federate comrades of cowardice in this precipi- 
tate retreat, but no one who knew his personal 
bravery could for a moment suspect him of 
cowardice. He would rather have been shot 
than confined in a northern prison. His family 
accompanied him in this journey, and many 
novel things his wife had to tell about the 
Mexicans. One, I remember, is that all people 
upon the street, whether Catholic or Protestant, 
had to cross themselves when the priest passed 
in his carriage. This was not agreeable to 
Mrs. Hindman's religious views, as she was a 
member of the Presbyterian church. She told 
Hindman they must get away from Mexico, as 
she had no church privileges, and she did not 
want to bring up her children under Roman 
Catholic influence. 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 317 

While Hiadman was in Mexico he learned 
the Spanish language, the pure Castilian, which 
he spoke and wrote with precision. While 
there he was engaged in a suit (I do not recol- 
lect the nature of it), for which he received one 
thousand dollars. This money was paid after 
h9 returned home. 

About the time of Hindman's return from 
Mexico, and before he had been pardoned, Gen. 
Powell Clayton had married one of Helena's 
handsome, bright and attractive girls — Miss 
McGraw. Her father was commissary in Hind- 
man's command. Clayton was making inflam- 
matory speeches to the negroes. Hindman 
listened to one of these speeches, and his 
patience being exhausted, he replied to the 
general and took occasion to call him a liar. 
This engendered much feeling between the two 
parties, and was thought by the democrats to 
to be the cause of his assassination some time 
afterwards. 

Hindman had many personal as well as po- 
litical enemies, and it was thought some of 
them committed the deed. Be it who it may, 
it was a dastardly, cowardly act, perpetrated 
after night, when he was watching by the bed- 



2i8 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

side of his old grayheaded mother, in the act 
of giving her a dose of medicine. He was shot 
in the jaw and upper part of the throat, tear- 
ing a large part of the integuments away, and 
causing great hemorrhage from deep seated 
arteries. 

A large crowd soon assembled, and Hindman 
came to the front gallery and spoke to them 
for some minutes. After alluding to the un- 
pleasant altercation between himself and Clay- 
ton, he said, "I do not know who killed me; 
but I can say, whoever it was, I forgive him !" 
and calling to Col. James H. O'Conner, with 
whom he had had some words, he said, "Colonel, 
I beg your pardon ; will you forgive me V* 
The colonel replied, " I freely forgive you, gen- 
eral !" Hindman then said, " I ask you then 
to take charge of my family and be a protector 
to my wife and dear little ones." The colonel 
promised to comply with his request. He then 
said, " I forgive everybody, and I hope they 
will forgive me." He then kissed his wife and 
children and sank into a chair, exhausted from 
the excessive hemorrhage, and breathed his 
last. 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 219 

Mrs. Hindman survived her husband about 
six or eight years, when she died, leaving four 
small children — two boys and two girls. The 
writer was in attendance on her with Dr. McAl- 
pine a month before her death. A nobler, 
Christian mother, a more devoted wife, gener- 
ous, free hearted, nor a firmer friend, never 
lived than Mollie Hindman. She possessed all 
of the virtues nature could lavish upon any 
woman. 

''GRANNY'S GRAVE." 

Late in the evening on a beautiful day in 
November, 1862, when the sun was sinking low 
in the horizon, you might have seen a caravan 
consisting of men, women and children, sally- 
ing forth from their homes in Tunica county. 
Miss. The three colors, white, black and 
yellow, were represented in this following. 
Ox, horse, mule wagons, and a cart, were 
loaded with the household effects of this rather 
motley crew. They were decamping pretty 
much after the manner of the Spaniards when 
they left Santiago de Cuba. This band was 
allowed to take out their goods and chattels, 
as they had nothing contraband of war. They 



230 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

had no side arms, nor front arms either, as they 
were not a belligerent people, simply honest 
toilers of the soil ; but there was a mortified 
pride which had settled upon the brow of all. 
What was this mortification ? The same as 
that of the Spaniards — forced to go. This car- 
avan moved along with heavy step and weep- 
ing eyes. Where was it going ? What Mecca 
was calling it to worship her God ? Not one of 
the number could tell. They had no particular 
destiny ; they were simply wandering in the 
woods to find a place of safety, where they 
could enjoy their slavery and freedom to their 
own liking. 

A few hours journeying brought them to 
the banks of that notable and historical 
lake called " Flower Lake," from the abund- 
ance and variety of fiowers that grew along its 
banks. Upon its blue waters floated that re- 
markable plant, yonkopin, an Indian name, 
and if we could define it, no doubt it would 
explain its botanical signification; but the resi- 
dents cared nothing for the name, as the nuts 
it contained were as sweet to the taste as the 
rose was to the smell. So what is the difierence 
about a name, so the taste and odor are all 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 221 

right. With the bright, variegated colors of 
the banks, and the bottle green leaves of the 
yonkopin spread out on the bosom of the lake 
like Chinese umbrellas, it necessarily pre- 
sented one of those beautiful and picturesque 
scenes that nature is always bringing to our 
view, to gratify the taste and delight the eye 
of the poor as well as the rich. God's beauties 
are for the masses, not for the classes, and man 
can neither obliterate nor destroy them. The 
poor girls who lived near this lake could sup- 
port a finer boquet than any of the swell 
ladies of New York or Chicago, for nature 
would not allow these flowers to be trans- 
planted to other soils and climes. Flowers and 
plants could be found about this lake that 
could be found nowhere else. A wealthy gen- 
tleman owned a plantation which bordered on 
this lake for two miles. He was a bachelor at 
the time, but soon after learned better and was 
married. 

During his bachelorhood he erected a beau- 
tiful pavilion on the banks of the lake for the 
ladies and gentlemen of the neighborhood to 
repair in the spring season, and take from the 
lake some of the finest trout, bass, black and 



232 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

white perch, that was ever drawn by hook and 
line. Many a pleasant day did the writer 
spend upon the banks of this beautiful lake, 
in company with the most educated, refined, 
polite and cultured planters, with their beauti- 
ful, accomplished and loving wives, who loved 
their husbands with the greatest devotion and 
cared nothing for the admiration and loose 
loving people of the world. 

At these fishing excursions — for they might 
well be called such, since they were attended 
by parties who lived at quite a distance from 
the lake — the bachelor planter would have a 
long table set after the old fashioned barbecue 
table. He had two colored men, the finest 
<30oks in the state, who served the viands to 
the guests. He made two requests of his 
friends, which was their card for admittance. 
Of the gentlemen, they were to bring all the 
dogs they had that were fit for nothing. Why 
this request, will be explained further on. Of 
the ladies, they were to bring all the single 
females of the family, or widows, whether ugly 
or handsome, rich or poor. In this request the 
bachelor had a motive. As the ladies lived 
far apart, it would save him the trouble of vis- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 223 

iting them; then at a lish fry they would be 
free and easy, more perfectly natural, without 
putting on airs to catch beaux. They would 
come wearing common sense shoes, that they 
might run up and down the lake, gather 
flowers, fish, or take a ride on its smooth waters 
in one of his beautiful pleasure boats, which 
he kept for the occasion. Their hair would 
flow down upon their fair shoulders, and they 
could get sunburnt if they liked, and there 
would be no one to criticize or restrain their 
natural love for the beautiful and sublime. 
They were sweet innocents ; God's noblest 
specimens of womankind. 

Did the bachelor select one of these girls who 
came to his feasts ? No ; there were so many 
attractions, he could not concentrate his affec- 
tion. He thought it best to pay his addresses 
to one, and this one had never been near his 
lovely and unique plantation. While lying on 
his lonely bed at night, thinking of the past 
and desiring a change for the future, his mind 
and heart ran back to his early school days at 
Oxford, Miss., and his mental eye settled upon 
one with whom he had played in his youthful 
days. As he meditated upon her beauty, her 



224 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

simplicity, her graceful step, rosy cheeks and 
kind and gentle temper, lie came to the con- 
clusion that he would go back to his old stamp- 
ing ground, concentrate all his romantic love 
and center it upon his first love. This he did, 
and was married and lived happily on his plan- 
tation, that to many of the girls of today would 
be a miserable prison. 

Now for the invitation of the dogs. You 
will see before the story is through that this is 
not a digression. Well, all the dogs that were 
brought to this fish fry were to be his. Butch, 
Tige, bench leg, black and tan, hound and cur, 
all made their appearance at this show. They 
were put into a kennel, and there kept for a 
much larger and more exciting show, which 
took place every Christmas day while he was 
a bachelor, for his wife would not allow him 
to have such entertainments, saying they were 
brutal. The dogs that were put in the kennel 
were to be brought out on Christmas day, to 
be put in a fight with bears. These bears had 
been raised from whelps to full grown size, 
making them fat and strong. None but men 
were invited to this dog and bear fight. The 
writer has seen the banks of the lake lined 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 225 

with men and boys, but none could come close 
to the fight that had not brought a dog at one 
of the entertainments. 

The writer will now give a description of one 
in which he was most interested, as he lost his 
dog. As has been said, you must take a 
worthless dog ; no one of course would take a 
good one. A dog came to my house in the 
summer of 1859. He was half hound, black and 
white, with long ears. He lay under the house 
all the time, never coming out except to get 
water or food. Se had one black ear and one 
white, one black eye and one white. He was 
of good size and could have been useful if he 
so desired ; but he was troubled with that dis- 
ease some of our soldiers suffered from during 
the civil war — home sickness — for he loved the 
house, particularly the under part of it. Per- 
haps this was a good choice of his, as in the 
summer it was the coolest, and in the winter 
he would gel near the south side cliimne}^ and 
it would be comfortable for him. The negroes 
could never get him to go out opossum and 
coon hunting, nor any other kind of hunting 
except bread hunting. 



226 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

I never had much, fancy for dogs, fishing 
poles, or guns, so was present at only one of 
these entertainments, which I am now describ- 
ing, but on Christmas of 1860, concluded to 
take the advice of one of m}^ old negro men, 
and go to please him. He said he wanted me 
to go and take that no account dog and let the 
bear kill him ; he was fit for " nuffin " but to 
eat. I knew there was no chance to get the 
dog there unless by force, so I told the old 
negro to get a long rope and tie him, and I 
would lead him to the battle.* This was done, 
and I mounted my horse, forcing him along for 
some distance. He pulled back and made 
some strangling sounds, tearing the earth up 
with his feet. I soon found I was not strong 
enough to pull him along, so threw the rope 
over the pummel of the saddle and let the 
horse do the pulling. He now saw that he had 
better trot after the horse than be choked to 
death, so I had no more trouble with him. 

When I arrived I saw two large bears tied by 
two long chains, which gave them permission 
to get into swimming water when attacked by 
the dogs. I led my dog, " Watch," to the bank 
of the lake, close to the bears, where he could 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 237 

see the fight and notice their movements, for 
he could not run, as I held him by the rope. 
Watch looked on at first with a steady gaze, 
showing no evidence of cowardice. Then he 
commenced to shake his head and seemed to 
be a little anxious to take part in the combat ; 
but as none of the dogs up to this time had 
ventured near enough to bruin for him to get a 
slap at them, and send them yelping to their 
masters, Watch did not seem anxious to ad- 
vance. At length a bull dog that did not re- 
treat from the position he had taken, which 
was just outside the bear's cable tow, made a 
lunge at one of the bears, and seizing him by 
one of his quarters, was dragged into the lake, 
and there the bear ducked him until he was 
willing to turn loose his hold and swim to the 
shore. At the defeat of this dog. Watch be- 
came very much excited, and shook his -head 
violently, barking angrily. A shout went up 
from the bank, crying, " Turn him loose, 
doctor." As the old negro had said he hoped 
Watch would get killed, I thought this a fitting 
time for him to show his " patriotism," by 
dying for his country, and relieving it of one 
of its formidable enemies, so I turned him 



2 28 Reminiscences of the Civil JVar, 

loose, and in a minute he had one of the bears 
by the quarter. The bull dog seeing this daring 
adventure, jumped in and caught the bear by 
the other quarter. The bear made for swim- 
ming water, with the two dogs hanging to his 
nethermost quarters. When he reached the 
swimming water he turned and slapped at the 
dogs, which sent them under the water until 
they were completely ducked. But the two dogs 
kept their hold, and by drawing back had the 
bear's head under water, neither of them turn- 
ing loose their hold, whether on top or under 
the water. Other dogs now swam in, and 
covering the bear, soon had him drowned. 

The hero of this story was Tom Saunders, who 
was known all over the state, and for that 
matter, over ever}^ state that loved to hear bear 
stories, for the lake and the hero has been 
written up by a professor of Oxford University 
in a classic novel. The writer never saw this 
book, and if he has used any of the language 
of this writer it is by an association of ideas 
formed thirty-eight years ago. 

How was this dead bear disposed of? He 
was barbecued, and as he had been fed high, 
and made fat and tender, he was the best " bar '' 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 329 

meat we ever ate. What became of the other 
bear? The two heroes of the first fight, ex- 
hausted and covered with blood from the bear's 
teeth, must not enter this contest. 

While the cowardly dogs on the bank were 
barking loudly, the bear dogs in the kennel be- 
came furious and broke out. Soon they had 
the bear strung, and in spite of Tom's scolds 
and whip, had him choked to death. It took 
the two bears to feed the number of people. 

What became of Watch and the bull dog ? 
Tom took them of course ; they were his property 
by conquest. He took them on his next chase, 
and they proved to be the best bear dogs he had. 
About a year after Watch was killed in a 
panther fight, nobly defending the life of his 
master, for Tom said while he was trying to 
avoid the wounded animal, he struck his foot 
against a fallen tree and fell. He had his 
knife in hand, and when the panther was about 
to cover him Watch seized the panther by the 
hind quarter and jerked him back. The 
panther turned on Watch and caught him by 
the neck, breaking it instantly. By this time 
Tom had sent his knife deep into the panther's 
heart, and there lay his friend and foe side by 



230 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

side in the jaws of death. Tom had Watch 
taken home and buried in his yard under a 
large spreading oak. He buried him with the 
honors of war, shooting several volleys from 
the same gun with which the panther was 
wounded. 

This narrative reminds me of a story which 
Elbert H. English, who was for many years be- 
fore and at the time of his death chief justice 
of the supreme court of Arkansas. When 
English was a boy in North Carolina, one of 
his neighbors was greatly annoyed by coons 
eating his roasting ears. He advertised for a 
coon dog, in answer to which a long, cadaver- 
ous hunter from the adjacent hills of Ten- 
nessee brought him a hungry looking "yaller'* 
dog, which he recommended highly as a coon 
dog. The Alabama farmer bought the dog, 
and he proved worthless. He afterwards com- 
plained to the man of the Tennessee hills 
for cheating him. " Wa'll," said the stranger, 
"I always heard that every dog was good 
for sumthin', and this 'un was no account 
for nothin' I'd tried him on ; but I'd not 
tried him on coons, so I thought coons was his 
strong pint." 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 231 

We see by the moral of this story that even 
dogs have a particular place to fill in their 
lives — but some also have no particular place, 
which we often see in the case of men — and if 
they can find what that position is, and fill it to 
the best of their ability, they, like Watch, will 
succeed. 

The narrative that I have given is not un- 
familiar to many now living in the Misissippi 
bottom. What connection has all this with 
"Granny's Grave?" We said the caravan 
camped the first night on the banks of this 
classic lake. The stock was watered at 
the spot where we had seen the notable 
bear fight we have just described. We 
have told you there was a cart in this 
procession. What did it contain? A large 
feather bed, a heavy comfort, a pair of 
sheets and blankets, and an old white haired 
mulatto woman over ninety years of age. 
Why were they lugging such baggage as this ? 
An old woman of that age could be nothing 
but a burden and expense upon such a 
trip as here described. Her face was wrinkled, 
her teeth gone, her head white as snow, her 
limbs palsied with age, her eyes blind, so that 



233 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

she liad to be both supported and led when she 
wished to change her position. Is this not an 
act of cruel injustice to expose one so aged to 
such hardships? Was it of the old woman's 
free will and accord that she was being thus 
treated, or was she forced take this trip by her 
condition as a slave? When the master of this 
caravan was compelled to take his effects to a 
safer place in the rear of the Confederate army, 
as the Federals were crossing the Mississippi 
river from Helena, and robbing him of cattle, 
mules, hogs, bee hives, clothing, books, surgi- 
cal instruments, and every other valuable thing 
they could get their hands upon, except the 
negroes, who refused to go with them. 

Old granny hid a shotgun in the bedtick, 
and then lay on it, so when they searched the 
house for arms they found none. No, thej^ 
were badly disappointed this time. Granny 
had been in the family for three generations ; 
had nursed the grandparents of these children, 
and had done no work for fifty years but nurse 
children. The last ones nursed consisted of 
five — three girls and two boys. The eldest, a 
girl of about eight years, with light brown hair, 
blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and full of fun. The 



Re7niniscences of the Civil War. 233 

Other two girls resemble each other to that ex- 
tent they might be taken for twins. Large 
dark blue eyes, beautiful smooth glossy hair, 
inclined to curl, slender figures, yet pictures of 
health, with such bright, happy dispositions. 
The oldest boy, who was fourth in number, was 
tall, manly, and fine looking. His eyes blue, 
fair complexioned, dark brown hair. His 
mother used to look at him, kiss and caress 
him when a babe, and say that God had given 
her all she wanted. " I would not change a 
feature of your face, or alter your disposition," 
she often said. The fifth, an infant, with red 
hair, blue eyes and fair complexion — a fat little 
cherub. These, with the father and mother, 
composed the white members of the family. Be- 
fore leaving the plantation, the father, whom 
granny had nursed, told her that he would get a 
place for her in the neighborhood, and have her 
well taken care of, and if she died would leave 
money to pay all expenses, and have her 
buried in the family graveyard. She protested 
in the most solemn terms, saying, " I am going 
with my ' chillun V " " But," said he, " you will 
die on the road, granny, and then we will have 
to bury you away from home." Granny called 



234 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

the children to her, and with tears streaming 
down her old bronze cheeks, with a loud, trem- 
ulous voice, said, '' Your pa says he is going 
to leave me here, children, and I am not going 
to stay." All the children spoke out with one 
voice, " You shall go, granny ! you shall go !" 
This decided granny's fate, and the cart wa& 
prepared as heretofore described. A campfire 
was kindled close to the lake, and the cook 
prepared some hot bread and coffee for supper. 
The tents were taken from the wagons, 
stretched, and the beds placed under them. 
Granny's bed w^as spread under the white folks' 
tent, and that night all the children slept with 
granny. 

While wife and I were sitting by the fire 
looking as though we had lost our best 
friend, and thinking of the responsibility of 
moving such a family — we did not know where, 
but somewiiere behind the Confederate lines — I 
concluded to break the silence by rehearsing 
what I have written about the dog and bear 
fight. She well recollected old Watch, as she 
called him, for she had many a battle with the 
broomstick to get him out of the house. Wife 
and I did not retire until late, and the negroes 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 235 

seemed to be restless, frequently going out to 
where the stock was to see if they were all 
right, and expressing some doubts as to whether 
the yankees would follow us and capture the 
whole clan. They were more uneas}^ than I 
was, for I knew they would not venture in the 
cane country after night, and by the next day 
we would be safe. 

Granny, being very much fatigued at this 
first outing, fell asleep, and so sound did 
she sleep that the whole camp, children and 
all, were awakened by her loud snoring. The 
next morning the sun rose clear, and the ani- 
malculse in the lake added additional bright- 
ness by giving out a phosphorescent light. 
Everything looked calm, quiet and majestic 
upon the lake, and had it not been for the 
aquatic birds coming in at that season of the 
year to bathe themselves and get their food 
from the yonkopins, you would have thought a 
funeral procession was moving. Well, there was 
some solemnity attached to the occasion. After 
the teams were hitched up and granny's cart 
was made ready for her, she called to the chil- 
dren ; " Chilluns, come here ! before we gwine 
start we must kneel down here and pray to 



236 Refniniscc7ices of the Civil War. 

God not to let them bad yankees catch us and 
take my big baby's stuff from him." The 
children obeyed the summons. My wife and 
I, who were not particularly devotional, con- 
cluded to go and worship with the old negro 
woman and children. We walked silently up 
to the cart and knelt with the rest. Granny 
was then upon her knees, her hands clasped, 
and trembling, and, with a voice far beyond 
the strength of her years, made a prayer, the 
eloquence of which was not surpassed by our 
ablest divines. Wife and I were satisfied that 
she was speaking by inspiration. In her 
prayer she asked for God's protection upon all 
of us. Rising she said : " Now we are ready 
to go. Sandy, put my bed in the cart and 
keep up with the rest ; I don't want to get away 
from my chilluns." 

Everything now being accomplished at the 
camps, we were ready to move. In the carriage 
was myself, wife and five children. Not a word 
was spoken for some distance, the prayer of 
granny had so impressed us. The prayer was 
no new thing to the children, for they had 
heard granny pray every night and morning in 
the nursery. The prayers of this old negro 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 237 

brought all those children into the church long 
before their parents had broken the bread of 
life. 

Let us go back and describe the play roona 
granny presided over. We enter the inner 
apartment and find a room twenty-two feet 
long by eighteen feet wide ; ceiling fourteen 
feet high, ceiled with dressed oak. The walls 
were of the same material. All the inside 
work was varnished, giving a smooth surface 
that almost served as a mirror. The floor was 
of heart cypress, and painted a chocolate color. 
The furniture consisted of small chairs, tables, 
dressing bureau, cradles, bedsteads, and every 
other kind of furniture used in good house- 
keeping, but on the diminutive style. The 
little cooking stove was one of the principal 
attractions of the room. Upon this little stove 
granny taught the girls to cook everything 
after her old Virginia style of cooking, who 
were considered the best cooks on record. She 
taught them to set the table in an artistic way 5 
would have entertainments, and invite other 
children. If you could have stepped in and 
looked upon the happy little faces at one of 
these children's entertainments, you would say. 



238 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

^' Give us back the days of Auld Lang 
Syne." 

This explains to you why southern girls 
made such good housekeepers and loving wives. 
They were taught in infancy, before they were 
old enough to go to school, as they learned it 
in playrooms. The children that old granny 
taught in this nursery made the best cooks and 
housekeepers in the land. After the war closed 
they were able to go to the kitchen and cook 
the meals. From the kitchen they went to the 
dining room, from the dining room to the par- 
lor, entertaining you with brilliant wit and re- 
parte, and giving you the sweetest music on 
piano and guitar. They were educated in the 
best colleges in the north and south ; made de- 
voted wives and mothers, sharing the labor 
with their husbands, who had become worn out 
and despirited by the reverses of the war, 
and speaking loving and encouraging words, 
cheering all in the household. It is well known 
that a devoted wife and mother can bear mis- 
fortune better than man ; are willing to make 
more sacrifices, and take a more hopeful view 
of things. This conduct of our southern 
women made men, who had never done a day's 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 239 

work of manual labor in their lives, seize tlie 
plow and turn the turf vigorously — men whose 
hands were as tender and as soft as a woman's. 
It was this lesson of industry and practical 
habits, sprung into action by the hardships 
of war, that has developed some of the finest 
characters known to advanced civilization. 

But let us return to granny. She trained the 
boys to shoot their dummy guns, roll their 
wheelbarrow, saw with their little saws, bore 
with their gimlets, chop with the little hand ax, 
and romp aQd play at will about the room. So 
you see that both girls and boys learned useful 
habits, without their knowing how it was done. 

Had we not better have a nursery in every 
family, instead of the kindergarten of the pres- 
ent day ? Are we not looking too much after 
the ornamental at the expense of the useful ? 
These are pertinent questions, and most worthy 
of consideration. 

We left the caravan as it was starting out 
from the lake. We are now journeying east- 
ward, not to find the rising sun, but to find the 
rising Confederacy, which at this time was a 
fixed fact to those who were as enthusiastic 
as this little band of patriots, for the negroes 



240 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

had caught up the patriotism of their owners, 
as you have seen by granny and her comrades. 
The first day's march, though but twenty miles, 
was very fatigueing to granny. We now ar- 
rive at the foot of the hills in De Soto county. 
After spending the night very similar to the 
first one, with the exception of granny's snores 
and my narratives, we journey along, bending 
our way a little southward toward Senatobia. 
As there were no Federals nearer than Mem- 
phis, we thought we might bivouac here in 
safety. 

As the writer had some cattle in the cane, 
which was not in the habit of coming out into 
civilization, he concluded to take with him a 
couple of active men and horses in order to get 
these cattle out and sell them to the Confed- 
erate government. The members of the family 
were now to make themselves as comfortable 
as they could in their tents. The weather was 
still pleasant, as it was one of those exceptional 
years when frost came very late. The three 
men return to the bottom and are quite suc- 
cessful, getting out over a hundred head of 
cattle. These we sold for cotton money ; the 
best in the world, as we then thought. Green- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 241 

backs could have bought nothing we Lad; in- 
deed, they were considered contraband of war. 
Mr. John Carlock, a planter who lived near 
Sentatobia, happened to pass by the camp, and 
in conversation with my wife got the gist of our 
story. He invited her to his home, and cared 
for the stock and negroes until I could come 
out. Carlock was a noble, generous man, of 
large means, and very successful in business. 
To bring our narrative to a close, we will sa3% 
that on our return to the hills we concluded to 
stay as long as it was safe to do so. We 
rented a place from Mrs. Roberson, a sister-in- 
law of Carlock. It was the old Clanton prop- 
erty. At this place and in this house occurred 
the most pathetic scene of my life. Granny 
was taken sick. The fatigue she had to un- 
dergo was too great for her failing strength, 
and in a few days she succumbed. While sick 
she repeatedly prayed the following psalm : 
" Cast me not off in time of old age ; forsake me 
not when my strength faileth." It was in the 
month of cold December when the white winged 
messenger came for that faithful member of 
our household. She called us all around her 
bedside, and speaking first to the children, put 



242 Remi7iiscences of the Civil War. 

Iier hands upon their heads, giving to each a 
separate blessing. I wish I could recollect 
her words ; I know they would sink deep into 
the heart of the most desperate sinner. She 
then called wife and myself, and after rehears- 
ing her history for three generations, and pro- 
nouncing a blessing upon us, fell quietly asleep 
in her Master's bosom, w^hom she had faithfully 
served for more than a half century. These 
last words made a deep impression upon us, 
but as there was nothing thought of or talked 
of but war, the impression is now but a dim 
one, to be recalled after the lapse of nearly 
forty years. 

She was quietly laid out on some smooth 
planks, after being dressed in one of her 
black Sunday dresses, with a white, old fash- 
ioned turban. These planks had to take the 
place of suitable tables, as we were absent 
from home. In a short time the smile of per- 
fect peace had settled upon her features, and 
«very wrinkle smoothed out. The old white 
head in this instance was a crown of glory, for 
it was found in the way of righteousness. 
Every eye in the house was streaming with 
tears ; the hearts of the white members of the 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 243 

family were as deeply touched as those of her 
own color. The children were going wild with 
sorrow, crying, "Granny is dead ! granny is 
dead !'' Myself and wife, with our house ser- 
vants, sat up and watched that last watch with 
the dead. None of us were members of the 
church, and therefore hesitated in indulging in 
ministerial affairs, but at length the silence 
was broken by our cook, who was accustomed 
to hear granny sing to the children at night 
before putting them to bed. She broke forth in 
one of those nasal twang sounds, peculiar to 
negroes, yet soft and pathetic. It was the old 
hymn I had so often heard my mother sing 
when I was a child — 

"Jesus, lover of my soul, 
Let me to Thy bosom fly." 

Everyone thought this an appropriate hymn 
for granny, as all believed her soul was then in 
the bosom of her Master on high. 

The next day, when we were putting her in 
the coffin, the children covered her face with 
their little white hands, and said, " Granny 
shall not be put in that box, nor shall granny 
go into the ground ; we will keep her here with 
us." After a great deal of persuasion, their 



244 Reininiscences of the Civil War, 

mother succeeded in coaxing them away. The 
corpse was placed in the coffin and taken to a 
newly made grave, in the old Clanton family 
burying ground. The entire family followed 
the remains to their final resting place, but 
when the corpse was to be lowered into the 
grave, the children again surrounded it, mak- 
ing the same protestations as in the house. 
Never before had we such a trial with our own 
children, as in this case. The occasion was too 
solemn for an exhibition of temper, and per- 
suasion seemed to have no effect. We did not 
wish to force them away, or use harsh words, 
therefore must resort to deception. I told one 
of my men to drive granny back to the house. 
The mother and children went towards the 
house, while I quietly and secretly said to the 
driver, " Take her behind the stable, while they 
are absent, then bring her back and we will 
bury her." This was done, and granny was 
laid in the grave, not far distant from the aged 
members of the Clanton family. It was well 
for her that she was then called to her final 
rest, as it was but a short time before we had 
to take that long and perilous trip to Selma, 



Reminiscences of the Civil War, 245 

Alabama, to assume the duties as surgeon of 
the ship hospital in that city. 

In 1865, after our surrender, which was in 
Apri], our journey was now toward home, and 
in passing through Senatobia we called a halt, 
that the entire family might visit granny's last 
resting place, and that we might lay on her grave 
such flowers and evergreens as we could get. 
The childen wept as bitterly as they did when 
she was laid in her coffin. We would have re- 
moved the remains, but they were in a better 
place than we could offer. 

This scene is one of hundreds of such be- 
fore the war. Had Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe 
written up one of these truthful exhibitions of 
love from slave to master, and fidelity from 
slave to their master's children, would not the 
northern mind have had a different bias from 
what was given it by that fanciful sketch of 
human brutality — " Uncle Tom's Cabin." 

''THE BOTTOM RAIL ON TOP." 

As many of the battles of the late war with 
even the skirmishes and incidents that took 
place between the prisoners of both a pleasant 
and unpleasant character have been written, it 



246 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

may be of interest to narrate some amusing 
things that occurred after the war. Laboring 
under such a belief, the writer proposes to give 
one in his personal experience. 

After we had surrendered at Gaines' Land- 
ing on the Tombigbee river, Gen. Forrest told 
us to get home as quickly as possible to claim 
our homes before they were confiscated. The 
writer having a plantation in Mississippi bot- 
tom which he had not seen for three and a half 
years, set out in company with Capt. John T. 
Shirley, Capt. D. D. DeHaven and Capt. T. C. 
Flournoy to reinvest ourselves with what we 
had been divested of. Here we will pause and 
give a short description of our comrades. Capt. 
Shirley was about five feet eight inches in 
height, fleshy, round face, thin beard. He was 
one of the most successful steamboat men that 
ever ran on the river from Friar's Point to 
Memphis, with the exception of old Capt. Jim 
Lee, whom every one knows, and he needs no 
encomium from me. Shirley's great success 
depended on his strict watch over things on the 
lower deck, noticing every piece of machinery, 
from a tap to a bolt, and from a bolt to a 
boiler; always keeping under strict surveill- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 247 

ance deck hands, engineers and pilots. He was 
a man of cool temper and clear judgment, and 
did not often indulge in swearing, which most 
steamboat captains think a boat cannot be run 
without. He left the care of his cabin passen- 
gers to his clerks, who were always polite, ac- 
commodating and communicative, entertaining 
the ladies by describing the scenery, with 
many reminiscences of steamboat life. The 
" Kate Frisbee " was a great pet with him, and 
indeed the was the most beautiful packet that 
has ever plied the waters of the lower Missis- 
sippi. She was double decked, and walked the 
water like a thing of life, almost as prompt to 
the hour as a mail train. Capt. D. D. DeHaven 
ran a magnificent packet some years before the 
war from Louisville to New Orleans. At the 
breaking out of the war he transferred her to 
the lower Mississippi, and in 1862 sold her to 
the Confederate government, then went to 
Selma, Alabama, to join Capt. Shirley in a gov- 
ernment contract to build the large war steamer 
"Alabama," Commodore Forand being the naval 
officer in charge. They completed the boat, a 
heav}^ ironclad vessel, but in launching her in 
the fall of 1863 met with a serious accident. 



248 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

The Alabama river at this season of the year 
being low, she caught on a bench and broke in 
the center. She was condemned and sold to 
some merchants in Mobile for $750,000. This 
was a great disappointment to our navy, as 
they had expected to raise the blockade at 
Mobile. Commodore Forand gave orders for 
the vessel to be launched, though the con- 
tractors thought it unsafe to do so. He was 
one of those naval officers who thought he 
could command the wind and the waves, and 
they would obey him. Naval officers had 
little conception of running streams and shoaly 
banks. I heard an old tar once say that when 
he was on the Mississippi river he was as ig- 
norant of the force of water as though he had 
never been at sea. 

Capt. DeHaven endeared himself to his lady 
passengers by his charming manners, vivacious 
conversation and graceful bows. He had a 
talent for that artistic and most interesting 
game, chess, always took the head of the table, 
and interested his lady passengers with culti- 
vated courtesies and pleasant narratives. 

Capt. Thomas C.Flournoy was a tall, straight 
and commanding in appearance, a man of 



Re77iiniscences of the Civil War. 249 

indomitable zeal and iron nerve, quick to per- 
ceive the situation of his surroundings, and 
capable of dealing decisive blows. Nor was 
this all. His moral attributes prevented him 
from dealing unkindly with the prisoners who 
chanced to fall into his hands. His efforts 
were ever directed toward the preservation of 
the social and religious liberties of his asso- 
ciates. Gen. Cleburne said of him, "He was a 
true and brave officer." 

After the fall of Selma the Federals pursued 
us to the Cahowba river. In this retreat white 
shirts and citizen clothes were in demand, sev- 
eral of us stripping our negroes of all their 
wearing apparel and clothing them in our uni- 
forms. We made our way to Hernando, Mis- 
sissippi, a small place not far from Memphis, 
and leaving our families there, proceeded to 
Memphis, to give an account of the misdeeds 
done in the body for the past four years. I 
shall never forget the appearance of the little 
band ; dressed in Confederate rags, with long 
hair and beards, excepting Capt. John Shirley, 
" who had no hair on the top of his head, the 
place where the hair ought to grow." It was 
the last of April, and the road was very dusty, 



250 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

being one of those unusual years when a 
drought occurred in the spring. Our horses 
were very much jaded from a long march and 
nothing to eat, except the green grass that grew 
on the roadside. In this condition, with our 
broad sombreros, made by the hands of our 
lovely wives and daughters from the palm leaf 
which grows luxuriantly in some of the south- 
ern states, we drew up in front of Keek's livery 
stable, put up our horses and then proceeded 
to the old Gayoso, there to take lodgings at the 
expense of Capt. Shirley, who had a friend 
there who was disposed to treat the " butter 
nuts" with kindness. We were shown com- 
fortable quarters ; that is, free of " gray 
backs," but an abundance of those little in- 
sects that can outrun a grayhound and hava 
eyes that can see into the darkest niches and 
crevices of bedtick and bedpost ; but we could 
stand all that, knowing that accidents will hap- 
pen in the best regulated families. The next 
morning we rose, washed our faces, combed our 
long hair and whiskers, and after discussing 
the little pests, Col. Flournoy remarking that 
he had almost as soon face the yankee in the 
daytime as the night enemy of the whole race 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 251 

of man, we then went down to the breakfast 
table and partook of a bountiful supply of the 
necessaries of life. As Capt. Shirley had 
owned and run a line of packets between Mem- 
phis and Friar's Point, Mississippi, he had 
made the acquaintance of many steamboat 
captains and river men, and had some very 
warm friends among them. 

Sitting in the lobby of the hotel, looking 
like some of Uncle Sam's lost sheep, and feel- 
ing very much like they had the rot, Capt. 
Shirley spied a gentleman approaching us, and 
recognized him as one of the number of whom 
I have spoken; but not knowing whether it 
would be a friendly or an unfriendly greeting, 
his face did not show that he was at all pleased. 
Soon the stranger's eye, " the index of the 
soul," betrayed friendship and good will. Ad- 
vancing, he extended his hand to the captain, 
and accosted him thus: " Hello ! John ; where 
did you come from? I am so glad to see you, 
old fel." The next thing was to invite us to go 
down a little distance, where he said he knew 
we could get some good whisky. "Not your 
pine top, John, you boys have down in Dixie, 
but pure old Kentuck." This was welcome 



252 Remuiiscences of the Civil War. 

news to the three captains. The writer was 
not in the habit of drinking either of the 
national beverages — did not think it best for 
his nerves, though very nmcli unstrang about 
this time. Well, as the spirits went down, the 
spirits came up, and in a short time you could 
not tell Fed. from Confed. We were invited to 
dine with him at the Gayoso that day, and we 
had a splendid dinner, closing up with the 
sparkling champagne. The writer indulged a 
little in this, as he had not heard a cork pop 
since the last social entertainment in 1860. 
This gentleman proved to be a colonel in the 
Federal army, and that night we were invited 
to a champagne party, given by several of the 
Federal officers. We soon found the Federals 
could play as good a game of poker as our 
Confederates ; but as we had nothing but old 
continental money, we could not join in the 
game. The old colonel offered to lend Capt. 
Shirley a few chips, but strange to say, that 
although an old steamboat captain, he had 
never thrown a card in his life. He respect- 
fully declined the offer. I say respectfully, 
because we were all extremely polite that night, 
for we did not wish to be too familiar on so 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 253 

short an acquaintance. Confidence had not 
been entirely restored, for we looked upon 
them with a little suspicion, and every once in 
a while would glance at them under the lower 
lid. It was at this place we met Dick Winter- 
smith, the greatest joker of his day. He kept 
the whole tea party laughing until 2 o'clock in 
the morning. As he was distinguished for 
champagne and wit, we enjoyed the sparkling 
flow, and for a time the trials of war, the sepa- 
ration from loved ones, was forgotten. At 2 
o'clock in the morning we adjourned, our party 
wending their way as best they could to their 
comfortable quarters at the Gaj^oso, and lay 
down to " think of their head in the morning," 
or their bodies at night. 

Capts. Shirley and DeHaven remained in 
Memphis, while Capt. Flournoy and myself re- 
turned to Hernando to look after our families 
and catch the news from the bottom. Wonder- 
ful stories we heard of burned ginhouses, 
fences, dwellings, thieves, cutthroats, deserters 
from both armies, whole plantations aban- 
doned, overseers selling out all the stock, 
and removing all the valuable furniture we had, 
a description of which I will give further on. 



254 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

After returning to Hernando, Capt. Flournoy 
removed his family, with Capt. Shirley's to 
Memphis, and the writer dropped back to 
Senatobia. Leaving his family there, in order 
that he might make a survey of things in this 
Ood-forsaken, devil-inhabited and demon-de- 
stroyed country, we saddled two of our jaded 
mules, stricken with poverty, and longing to get 
back to the rich cane pastures, and esculent 
nimble-will. The best one I mounted myself, 
and the other was mounted by him who was 
once my servant, but now, by Federal law, my 
peer, if not my superior. As he said, the 
~" Bottom Rail " was on top. We wended our 
way through the dense forest and thick cane that 
hung over the road, almost excluding the light 
of the sun. Very large trees had blown across 
the road, and often we had to dismount and 
lead the mules through the thick, heavy cane, 
parting the stiff, stubborn things, and once in 
a while they would rebound and hit the mule 
in the face, and he would jerk back and leave 
lis flat on the ground. After much tribulation, 
trial and vexation of spirit, we reached the road 
again, to meet the same resistance, a few miles 
further. At the close of the day's journey we 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 255 

came to the place supposed to be mine, though 
it seemed impossible to identify it. When we 
left, a new, beautiful frame house, with its com- 
fortable apartments, had been completed in 
1860, well equipped with substantial furniture, 
solid walnut and veneered mahogany, was all 
left in charge of the overseer, whom we sup- 
posed to be our friend, and the protector of 
our property, that is, so far as our own people 
were concerned. The lovely yard was covered 
with a rich tapestry of blue grass ; but now the 
cockleburs obscured the entrance, and only the 
top of the house was visible. We fastened our 
mules to a tree, and pushing the " Top Rail " 
forward, made an entrance into the house. We 
found that it had been the habitat of hogs, 
cattle, deer and wolves, which had taken pos- 
session to escape an overflow. We were worn 
out from our fatiguing journey, although only 
thirty miles had been traveled. Selecting one 
of the cleanest rooms, we took up our wallet 
containing some boiled ham and light corn bread 
(this was a bread our grandmas used to make to 
take on long journeys, because it kept sweet so 
long). After eating as much as we wanted, and 
we wanted a good supply, as our stomachs 



256 Re?niniscences of the Civil War. 

were in a fine condition to receive anything 
softer than an iron wedge, and digest it v/ith 
facility, we hobbled our mules, turned them on 
the grass, then took the blankets from under 
our saddles, and lay down to sleep. We had 
not more than closed our eyes before we heard 
the bugle sound of that most valiant and fear- 
less army, which was without number, and as 
countless as the sands of the sea. They soon 
commenced the sword exercise, and were draw- 
ing blood from every uncovered pore of our 
faces and arms, but being an old bottom soldier 
and having vanquished this immense army 
many times before, we rose, that is the ^^ Top 
Rail " struck a match, and looking around found 
some old rags. In a short while we had a 
dense smoke, which our enemy took to be the 
smoke of many cannons, and beat a precipitate 
retreat, so that our sleep was undisturbed until 
morning. We waited awhile to hear the old 
cock crow, but, alas ! his voice had gone out in 
the far distant past. We waited to hear the 
hog grunt, but he, like the cock, was too good 
food for a hungry soldier to be permitted to 
live out his three score and ten days. A short 
life for a hog, but a long life for a chicken. 



Reminiscences of the Civil IVa?'. 257 

Hearing no noise, and reflecting upon the sad 
sad havoc of the past, came to the conclusion 
that all was vanity and vexation of spirit. We 
rose to take a little bread and meat for the 
stomach's sake. Breakfast was soon over, and 
we pressed our way through burs, vines and 
undergrowth, to find out the ravages of war, 
and the waste of time. All the fencing was 
burned, cabins torn down and taken away ; 
ginhouse destroyed, and plantation grown up 
in undergrowth and sedge grass — but the land 
was still there. 

The "Top Rail" concluded to shove himself • 
across the Mississippi river and get to Helena, 
where he could talk over war times and And 
something better to eat. I did not venture 
over, as I heard the yankees had not yet boiled 
down, and did not know of Lee's surrender, 
and did not want to know it, as there were too 
many fine horses and gold watches to be left 
behind. This scared me off; so fortunately for 
me, I suppose, I did not go over, as there was 
a jay hawker over there with whom I was not 
on very friendly terms. Hearing that old man 
Huff, whose practice I did before the war, was 
on his place, I concluded to go down and stay 



258 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

all night with him. I came to this conclusion 
late in the evening, as the " Top Rail " was still 
afloat and had not put in his apparance. This 
was suggested to me by the ugly rumors I 
heard before coming down, though I had not 
seen a human being up to this time, to either 
verify or disprove the rumors, so considered it 
safe to make discretion the better part of valor. 
I saddled my mule and made for Huff's. The 
distance was only six miles, but the road was 
as above described. 

I passed through the large Trotter planta- 
tion and found it a duplicate of my own. Just 
before getting to the Huff place there is a small 
prairie, and in this prairie I met a woman with 
six pistols girted around her waist and a long, 
heavy bowie knife swung around her shoulders. 
I thought my time had come, and as there was 
no use retreating on a slow mule, when I con- 
trasted it with her fine Kentucky steed, con- 
cluded to face the music. Upon coming nearer 
to her, she recognized me as having been her 
physician, and called out : " Hello, doctor, 
I'm glad to see you ; which way are you going ? 
Ain't you lost?" I said, "To Huff's." She 
replied that old man Huff had moved to Helena 



Re^niniscences of the Civil War. 259 

two years before, and said there was no one on 
the place. I then asked who lived anywhere 
near with whom I could spend the night. She 
replied : " Sam Cooper has lived on the Alli- 
son place ever since Major Thomas Allison left 
for the war, and you know Sam is a good friend 
of yours ; he will keep these fellows from steal- 
ing your mule or murdering you for your 
money." I replied, "I have no money, and 
my mule is not worth much." She laughed and 
said, " They will kill you as quick as they 
would a mosquito." 

It was growing dark, and I, very anxious to 
reach some house, asked her which way she 
was going. " I am going towards Cooper's, and 
will go part of the way with you, but not to 
the house, as he is a dangerous man, you know, 
when he takes a notion." We soon came to 
Cooper's house, and he was very glad to see 
me. I dismounted. Taking the saddle off the 
mule, we led him to a stable which was near, 
closed the door with rails, laying them cross- 
wise, and went to the house. As we came to 
the gallery we looked behind us, and to our 
astonishment there was the mule. He was too 
smart to be left alone in that mule forsaken 



26o Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

country, for all had mysteriously disappeared 
for parts unknown. I suggested to Mr. Cooper 
to get a rope and tie the mule to a tree that 
stood near the gallery. This was done and he 
was made fast by the neck. 

I related to Cooper the circumstance of meet- 
ing the woman. He said she was the greatest 
horsethief in the country ; had killed several 
men, and robbed others ; was on intimate terms 
with the thieves and desperadoes of both sides^ 
and if she had not thought well of me, would 
have taken my mule and all the money I had. 
He further remarked: "You needn't be afraid 
she is coming here to get anything. She knows 
me too well." We then took a seat on the 
long front gallery, for the galleries were the 
whole length of the house, and the most pleas- 
ant places to sit during the summer. Not long 
after we were seated, and commenced talking 
over old times, a six footer, with rifle, bowie 
knife and pistol, made his appearance, and all 
my recollections of "Blue Beard" flashed 
across my mind. He threw his rifle on the 
floor, and said : "Old Bess never speaks but 
something falls. Sam, I see you have a Confed. 
here and a good mule." Sam Cooper 



Re^niniscences of the Civil War. 261 

jumped off the gallery, caught him by the arm 
and led him away, soon returning to tell me 
there was no danger. 

Supper was announced, and we went into the 
dining room, and sat down with his wife and two 
children. The supper was good enough for 
the times, and well enjoyed. We then seated 
ourselves on the gallery, after giving the mule 
a little bran ; for there was no corn in that 
country; every vestige of crib, and provender 
of all kind had been destroyed. We talked of 
things in general, and some things of special 
interest to me about that time, as I did not wish 
to leave either my mule or scalp in the bottom. 
Knowing Sam Cooper for many years as an un- 
educated bear hunter, and an honest and hon- 
orable man, for often the best and truest friends 
you have are among these rough, illiterate 
hunters, and they are, with few exceptions, 
strictly honest. Feeling thus protected, and 
being very much fatigued, I asked to retire. I 
was shown a front room, looking out upon the 
gallery from two large windows. A wide hall 
separated the two front rooms. Our halls were 
not inclosed in those days, as we wished to get 
the cool breeze in summer ; they were made the 



262 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

sitting and working room in that season. The 
country was new, and the land being rapidly 
cleared, wood was in abundance, and the old 
six foot fireplace was in every house. In these 
days such a fireplace would be considered very 
extravagant, and few persons would be able to 
enjoy the luxury ; but in those days they were 
economical, as the more timber you burned the 
sooner the land was cleared. The immense 
chimneys were always built on the outside. A 
northern man, when asked why they did this, 
replied that he did not know, unless it was that 
the southern women had so many children that 
there was not room for the chimney inside. 
While this might have been the natural cause, 
the economic was the exciting cause. A large 
door opened from the hall into each room. I 
was ushered into the east room, where there 
were two bedsteads, one near the hall door and 
the other on the opposite side of the room. 
The room was dark, with the exception of the 
light from the moon, which was not very bright, 
as it was low in the heavens at this hour. Un- 
dressing and placing our clothing on an old 
fashioned split bottom chair, the frame of 
which was very strong, we tumbled into bed. 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 263 

Though very much fatigued with our investiga- 
tions that day, and the worry of the mosqui- 
toes the night before, the recollection of that 
gaunt, long haired, swarthy complexioned, rifle 
bedecked man haunted our mind and disturbed 
our slumbers to that extent our eyes would not 
close for more than an hour. Perhaps the 
nervous system might have been a little anxious 
at that time, as we could plainly hear the beat 
of our heart. Shortly after we had fallen 
asleep, and the moon had gone down, we were 
aroused from our nap by a light, gentle cat step 
approaching the door. We heard the hand 
gently press the knob, and turn it slowly. We 
heard the door quietly open, the slow sup- 
pressed breathing of the individual, as he ad- 
vanced towards our bed. 

Hearing the soft step as it turned towards 
the left, concluded he was coming round to 
make his attack in the rear, and thinking our 
head would be split open by his long, heavy 
bowie knife, thought it best to shield that por- 
tion of our vital organism. We did not draw 
the cover over it and submit ourselves to fate, 
btit formed the resolution when meeting the 
woman to face the music, whether it was 



364 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

"Yankee Doodle" or "Dixie." The thought 
struck us to gently remove the clothing from 
the chair, put it over our head and shoulders, 
thus shielding all the vital organs, and at the 
same time to take from our pocket a dirk knife, 
the only weapon we had at this time, as we had 
lent our pistol to the "Top Rail," with or with- 
out our consent. We carried out this program ; 
with the dirk held fast in our right hand, think- 
ing if he struck at our head he would hit the 
chair, while we could with the knife send a 
death dealing blow. Arrangements for the 
battle were now complete, and we were left to 
our meditations. We could hear the breathing, 
but not the step, as he had made a halt. It 
occurred to us, that we were in about the same 
condition the two celebrated Mississippi duel- 
ists were, when they were in the dark cellar, 
with their left hands tied behind them and a 
bowie knife in their right, advancing toward 
each other from opposite directions, their only 
means of learning each other's whereabouts 
was by their breathing. I sat up in bed 
in tliis position for some time; could not 
tell how long ; but I thought my sands 
of time were about run down. As the 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 265 

enemy made no advance, concluded I would 
make one. Throwing the chair off my head 
and to one side, with knife in hand, I sprang to 
the window which was open, and in three leaps 
was on the gallery. As he did not follow me, 
I took my seat at the opening to the hall. As 
the stars shone bright I was enabled to keep 
my eye on the mule, and if an attempt had 
been made to remove him, would have given 
the alarm to Sam Cooper, but all things were 
quiet save the rustling of the trees which stood 
in the front yard, to one of which the mule 
was fastened. I kept this position for many 
hours, cannot tell how long, as I had no watch ; 
was a little too sharp to take my gold lever 
down into that country to invite social rela- 
tions. After weary hours of watching, day- 
light came to my relief, and although I many 
times have rejoiced to see the sun rise, yet 
never before with such feelings of delight. 
Daylight being the time for all industrious 
farmers to rise and commence work, Sam came 
forward to attend to the mule, and seeing me 
sitting at the hall opening, thought it strange 
that I should be up so early. "Why, doctor, 
you have leaTned to get up early since the 



2 66 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

war ; I told Becky to have late breakfast for 
your benefit." I then related the night's pro- 
ceedings to him, when he broke forth in a loud 
ha-ha laugh and said : " Why, doctor, that 
was my old grandma; she is deaf and suffers 
with asthma." This explained the whole thing. 
My nerves quieted down and I partook of a 
hearty breakfast, saddled my mule and set out 
for high land. Coming to my place I met with 
the "Top Kail" and we journeyed together, ar- 
riving at Senatobia about dusk. My family 
met me rejoicing, and were glad to know that 
I had my scalp and mule. 

♦« RECONSTRUCTION." 

While the smoke of battle has entirely 
passed away, and prejudice and passion has 
settled down to common sense and reason, we 
can sit down and meditate over the past with a 
cool head and generous heart. We cannot help 
giving Andrew Johnson, who has been so much 
reviled by southern men as being the worst 
enemy the south had in her unfriendly inter- 
course with the north, the credit of being one 
of our wisest statesmen. Johnson saw that 
under the constitution slaves could not be freed 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 267 

by force, but it must be done by the voluntary 
consent of their owners. How could this con- 
sent be obtained? Only by removing the 
black rock which it had split upon. Johnson 
knew full well that nine -tenths of the 
southern army did not fight for the continuance 
of slavery, and that they would give them up 
and return to the union in good faith, if they 
could be guaranteed state's rights. Johnson, 
being a constitutional man, could not con- 
scientiously deny them this privilege. He was 
also well acquainted with the character of the 
southern people, and full well knowing that if 
they were put under a military government, as 
a province, that it would not be more than ten 
years before they would be sufficiently rested 
to make another outbreak. He knew they 
would carry on a guerilla war which would 
last for years. Then, taking another view of 
the situation, that a very large proportion of 
the Federal army had enlisted simply to whip 
the south back into the union, with all the 
privileges she had before going out, it would 
be hard to keep an army sufficiently large in 
the field to hold the south in subjection. No 
one but religious fanatics would compose this 



268 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

army, which the south would soon dispose of, as 
there would have been a man behind every 
forest tree ; besides, it would have taken an 
immense amount of money to have supported 
this army, and as the government already owed 
over two billions of dollars as the expense of 
the Federal army for the four years of the war, 
and as it would have been impossible to collect 
revenue from the south, she would not have 
paid an}^ of the expenses of the standing army. 
Andrew Johnson had been raised from the 
tailor's goose to the governor's chair, and from 
the chair to the senate, by the suffrage of Ten- 
nessee democrats. He could not let his pre- 
judice run so high as to place these noble sons 
of his native soil in dark dungeons with clank- 
ing chains. So when he became president, he 
found himself in this position : men who had 
smelled powder afar off, and never were fight- 
ing mad until the fight was over, placed a 
bayonet at his back, and men of the south, still 
enraged, placed a knife at his throat. JSTow in 
this uncertain condition Johnson had to exer- 
cise his wits, and bring peace, permanent peace, 
by compromise. This he did by his recon- 
struction proclamation. 



Rejniniscences of the Civil War. 26c) 

Reconstruction gave origin to the " Ku-Klux 
Klan," and as I was one myself, I can give my 
experience. The passage of the thirteenth, 
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the 
constitution, enfranchising the negro, made him 
a citizen and gave him a right to vote. There 
was no constitutional power to enfranchise the 
slave by force. This was the greatest insult 
that could have been offered to a people noted 
everywhere for their intelligence and high cul- 
tured manners and noble bearing, prostrated 
by an overpowering force, but not subdued. 
It was enough to wear their patience and en- 
gender afresh bad feeling for those who put 
them in their servile condition, as well as to 
those who were to exercise this prerogative 
over them. 

The negro was now free, with a cudgel in his 
hand to break the head of his former master, 
who had set him free by his own volition. Bad 
characters were left free to roam over the coun- 
try like some marauding band of Turks, of 
whom we read. Our wives and daughters were 
left to the mercy of these miserable thieves, 
rapists and idlers, who sought to prowl around 
at night and attack defenseless women and 



270 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

children. These were the men that were to 
hold offices and pass laws for the state. For 
self protection and the defense of the innocent 
ones, we formed ourselves into a band called 
^' The Order of the White Camelia," but prop- 
erly known as " Ku-Klux," organized by Gen. 
Albert Pike. Be it said to the credit of the 
more peaceable negroes, who never wanted to 
leave their homes, that they were loyal to their 
owners, and helped to punish those who were 
lawless, informing their old friends of every 
effort that was made to destroy their property, 
or commit any outrage. The writer recollects 
a case where an old negro man was suspected 
of giving information concerning a plot to kill 
a planter, ravish his wife, then rob the house, 
and set it on fire. By information received 
from this old negro, the ku-klux were enabled 
to thwart the desperadoes in their plot. These 
murderers and incendiaries killed this old ne- 
gro while rowing a boat across a lake, that 
it might be a warning to all those who were 
friendly to the whites. The ku-klux captured 
three of these desperadoes, and hung them to 
trees near where the old man was shot. At 
this time a company of negroes, under the com- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 271 

mand of a Federal colonel, guarded the public 
road, and at the firing of a cannon at sunset, 
every white man was to be in his house, and 
none to pass the road after night who did not 
have a pass from their commander. About 
one hundred mounted ku-klux came to the 
writer's house at midnight to take the colonel 
and hang him to a tree with his colored officers, 
but as there were only three hundred white 
men in the county, and they were widely sep- 
arated, I advised against the plan of killing the 
colonel ; as there were twenty-five hundred ne- 
gro men in the county, and numbers of them 
could be gotten together in a neighborhood, 
ourselves and families would be left to the 
mercy of the negroes, and the friendly negroes, 
through threats, might abandon us. After a 
consultation it was agreed to send their leader 
a letter, to be carried by one of the order, in 
which letter the following language was used : 
" Colonel — You are hereby ordered to with- 
draw your colored troops from the county road, 
and not interrupt any of our peaceable citizens, 
or prevent their passing the road. This must 
be done by sunset tomorrow evening. A re- 
fusal to comply with this request will find your 



272 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

heels dangling by the side of a tree adjacent 
to the road." 

It is needless to say that the men were with- 
drawn and no more cannon firing was indulged 
in, and peace reigned in the neighborhood for 
a while. Then came a riot, the magnitude of 
which was not equaled during those dark days 
of white servitude to negro slaves. At Austin, 
Mississippi, a drunken doctor shot into a negro 
cabin, not shooting at any particular person ; 
the shot passed through the front room and 
struck a negro boy in an adjoining room, who 
was lying on a bed, killing him instantly. The 
sheriff arrested the doctor immediately. The 
sheriff was a republican. The doctor was 
placed in jail, and treated as any other crim- 
inal. A posse of armed negroes came to the 
jail to take him out and lynch him. The sheriff 
getting news of their plan, took the man out 
and ran him into the cane brake, and kept him 
under guard until the excitement had passed 
off, as he supposed, and then returned him to 
jail to be confined until court should meet. 
Tlie judge of the court was a republican. The 
negroes raised another row, which compelled 
the sheriff to summons a posse to protect the 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 273 

prisoner. He raised about fifty men. The 
negroes raised about six hundred armed men 
and marched them to within a few miles of the 
jail, with the same motive as given. The fifty 
white men, composed of republicans and demo- 
crats, threw up a breastwork made of thick, 
heavy plank, and armed themselves with what- 
ever guns and pistols they could get. After 
waiting two days for the negroes to attack 
them, they concluded to come from behind 
their breastworks and advance upon the camp. 
They mounted horses and made a charge. 
Most, if not all the white men making the 
charge were Confederate and Federal soldiers. 
Not a white republican joined the negroes. 
They charged them and put them to flight, 
killing eight of them. They did not pursue 
them into the woods. The sheriff returned 
with his posse, and thought the negroes were 
satisfied ; but not so. 

The sheriff, Capt. Manning, had great control 
over the negroes. He was elected by their 
vote, but being a white man in principle and a 
democrat before the war, he was not opposed 
by the white citizens. After his election he 
had to give a heavy bond. The white meu 



274 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

were the property owners, and the negroes 
€ould not make a satisfactory bond. The dem- 
ocrats had to go on this bond. They did so, 
well knowing that they could have no man who 
could keep the negroes in check better than he. 
Manning had been on the freedmen's bureau 
and given satisfaction to the whites. Before 
court came on Manning was called away on 
business, and left the jail in charge of a brave, 
resolute man. Taking advantage of Manning's 
absence, the negroes raised eighteen hundred 
armed men and made another attack upon the 
jail: but the bird had flown. As there was no 
one to oppose them (all the white people, both 
male and female had left the town), they robbed 
the stores, the saloons, the chicken coops, and 
took possession of everything within reach. 

News had reached Memphis of this immense 
body of armed men made up from the counties 
of Tunica and Coahoma, with assurances of 
recruits from Bolivar and Sunflower; indeed 
the negroes said from every county in the bot- 
tom. It was indeed alarming, and many 
thought it was the commencement of " a war 
between the races." This impression was 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 275 

made in Memphis and all along the line of the 
railroad. 

Gen. James R. Chalmers chartered two boats, 
and threw himself in command of a thousand 
well armed men, and they started out about 
sundown for the scene of action. By this time 
telegrams were received from towns in Illinois 
and Indiana, offering ten thousand men at a 
moment's notice. The railroads agreed to fur- 
nish free transportation, and the boats the 
same. Be it said to the credit of these two 
states that in less than twenty-four hours they 
had thousands of armed men in Memphis to 
get transportation. Chalmers on the steamer 
Lee, with live or six hundred men. had to land 
about six miles below Austin, on account of a 
large sand bar, which had formed in front of 
that place. The county clerk was a negro, but 
took no stock in this fight. He mounted his 
horse and rode about ten miles above town to 
see whether the Lee had armed men on board 
or not. Seeing that every available space was 
occupied by armed white men, he galloped 
back and told the negroes that if they did not 
evacuate the town they would all be killed. 
The negroes took fright at this news and all 



276 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

left, taking their plunder with them. After 
Chalmers had landed his men, he marched 
them to the scene of action ; but no enemy 
could be found to resist his brave young Mem- 
phians. He immediately dispatched a messen- 
ger to Helena, Arkansas, to inform the people 
of the result, and stop any more shipment of 
men and arms. All things being quiet, Chal- 
mers remained a day or two, and assisted the 
sheriff in capturing about fifty of the leaders 
of the negroes and restoring the stolen goods 
to their owners (all but the chickens). These 
negroes were placed in the two jails of Tunica 
and Coahoma, and when court came on were 
tried as rioters and thieves. They were re- 
leased by the court and given such a charge 
that they have retained it to this day. The 
judge told them that in a war of races they 
could not depend upon a solitary white man, 
north or south, that would join them, and how 
near they came to being wiped out. He advised 
them to go home and make good, peaceable 
citizens, and enjoy the freedom that had cost 
the government so much blood and treasure to 
secure. So you see, my reader, that the war 
did not end in 1865. It had to be taken into 



Re?nintscences of the Civil War. 277 

Africa, where " Scipio " (white man) was mas- 
ter of the situation, and where he will always 
be in every combat. 

ANDERSONVILLE PRISON. 

It will not be out of place in this book to 
speak of the Andersonville prison, as I was an 
eye witness to many things that took place in 
that prison. It might reasonably be supposed 
that a large number of unacolimated prisoners, 
confined on a small tract of land, would have 
malarial fevers of the vilest type. The camp 
diarrhoea and dysentery, which prevailed to 
such an alarming extent, causing so many 
deaths, were of a malarial character. The 
*' sine qua non " for this fever was quinine, 
which was worth fifty dollars an ounce in 
greenbacks. None of it could be obtained ex- 
cept from those who ran the blockade, and it 
was purchased by friends in the blockaded 
cities and packed in private trunks. 

Mrs. Lincoln's sister, Mrs. Capt. Dawson, 
who lived in Selma, Ala., made a visit to her 
sister in Washington City, and through the in- 
fluence of Mrs. Lincoln and the generous 
hearted "Abe," brought out a trunk filled with 



278 Re?niniscences of the Civil War. 

quinine. Now we were using at that time all 
kinds of " yerbs," bone set, fodder tea, and 
spider webs for the treatment of the citizens 
who were afflicted with the epidemic fevers of 
the south. All the quinine that could be pro- 
cured was sent to the surgeons in the hospitals, 
therefore not a grain could be spared for those 
unfortunate prisoners. A request was made by 
the keeper of the Andersonville prison to the 
Federal government to send quinine to their 
prisoners. This they refused to do, saying 
that the Confederates v/ould use it for them- 
selves, and save their men who were dying 
from the disease in their own camps. Little 
did they know the character of the honorable 
surgeons who were attending the sick. They 
V7ould rather have died than use it for those 
for whom it was not intended, unless their con- 
sent had been given. No doubt the Federal 
soldiers would have divided their medicine 
with their co- sufferers, if they had ever received 
it. Like conditions and circumstances produce 
a strong fellow feeling. If there is anything 
that will take the war spirit out of a man, it is 
when he is burning up with one of those 
autumnal fevers. When the time came for an 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 279 

exchange of prisoners, even those who were 
almost in a dying condition, asked to be put 
on a litter and taken to the cars ; not because 
they were persecuted where they were, but to 
escape the deadly shots from the malarial bat- 
tery. With emaciated forms, and scarcely 
strength enough to breathe, with this terrible 
dysentery unchecked for want of proper medi- 
cine, a large number were sent to the Wayside 
hospital at Selma, to be treated, so that they 
might have strength enough to make the jour- 
ney to where they were to be exchanged. 

All the city physicians, with the surgeons of 
hospitals, and the surgeon of the pyrotechnic 
department. Dr. Hart, of New Orleans, gave 
their time and attention to these suffering and 
dying men. The ladies sent them all the nour- 
ishment they needed. They were not treated 
as enemies then, for what human heart could 
have witnessed the scenes the writer did on 
that occasion and not be moved to sympathy. 
Unable to provide room for them on the inside 
of the hospital, a platform was erected on the 
outside, furnished with all the cots that could 
be procured ; enough could not be had for all, 
so that many had to lie on the rough floor, but 



28o Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

as this was in the dry season the air was not 
damp, 80 they did not suffer from the dampness 
of the night, but they did sufter from their 
bones — almost divested of flesh — coming in con- 
tact with the hard floor, for already many had 
troublesome bed sores. With all their skillful 
treatment, the doctors witnessed many deaths, 
as might have been expected at this wayside 
hospital. The writer can testify that they re- 
ceived the same treatment we were giving our 
own beloved sick soldiers. Nothing but a 
Christian spirit controlled all our actions. 

Now let us look at the other side of the 
question. Suppose the Federal government 
had sent to Andersonville prison one thousand 
ounces of quinine to be used for her captured 
soldiers in the malarial districts. Would not 
thousands of men be now living that are occu- 
pying shallow graves, unmarked, on southern 
soil? If there had been more quinine than 
they needed, would it have been sent back to 
the Federal government? No; the Federal 
soldiers, knowing what torture they had suf- 
fered, would have given it to those who were 
suffering a like torture. A Federal, or a Con- 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 281 

federate soldier never lost their human heart, 
nor their sympathy for the distressed. 

'' OUR FLAG." 

With becoming modesty I will now bring in 
my short speech before the Sons of the Ameri- 
can Revolution, not for the purpose of padding 
my book, but for its war connection. 

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen : When 
I was called upon by our worthy secretary, but 
two days before our meeting, to make an ad- 
dress, I tried to excuse myself from appearing 
before you on this occasion as a quasi orator, 
but when he told me that it was my duty, as 
well as his, to prepare something for the enter- 
tainment of our members, I unhesitatingly 
accepted the trust, knowing my want of ability 
to do this momentous question justice. I say 
momentous, for it covers the whole ground of 
our national independence. The mutter of its 
folds are but the song of patriotism wherever 
they are heard. When this flag was first made 
by our patriotic and self denying grand- 
mothers, those stars to my mind were the 
brightest in the galaxy ; and when I look upon 
this flag my eyes turn instinctively to those first 



282 Reminiscences of the Civil War. 

thirteen, and say: "Glorious stars, you have 
lost none of your brilliancy by time, and those 
who stand around you are but your reflected 
light. You are jewels in the firmament of 
freedom. You have now multiplied yourselves 
until your children number thirty- two. They 
are bright and honorable children of an illus- 
trious mother. Wherever they are seen they 
strike the eye with admiration and the heart 
with emotion. This increase will go on, with 
arithmetical progression, until your eyes will 
be twinkling over the civilized world." I look 
upon this privilege as one eminently proper for 
patriotic expression. I hope that all the 
branches of the national society are as 
earnestly endeavoring to give vent to their pa- 
triotic feelings as we are in our humble manner 
trying to do today. Our efforts may be feeble, 
but I know I speak the sentiments of this so- 
ciety when I say there are none more enthusi- 
astic than we are. But to return to our flag. 
The resolutions passed by the senate may be 
compared to a pine wood fire, fanned by a 
mountain wind, growing fiercer and liigher as 
the days pass by, until now the flames of pa- 
triotism are lashing the coast of Cuba. This 



Reminiscences of the Civil War. 2S3 

flag will be a voice to the downtrodden and op- 
pressed to charm their weary ears. American 
lives are cheap and common, compared to the 
imprisoned principles of freedom. 

Our brave boys will suffer immolation upon 
the cross of independence. I feel that I am 
only reviving the sentiments of our brave and 
patriotic sires when I call to memory the 
sacrifices they made in planting this flag upon 
the mountain of liberty. Our sires planted 
two flags ; one upon the Alleghany mountains, 
and one upon the Rocky mountains, that they 
might perpetually " wave over the land of the 
free and the home of the brave." The Spaniards 
have been carrying on a predatory war, and 
are further from the accomplishment of their 
ends than when they first began. This is not 
a war upon our part for conquest, or for mer- 
cenary interest, nor yet for vain glory, that we 
might be called the most powerful nation on 
the earth, but simply for the triumph of God 
Almighty's earth born principles — Justice and 
Mercy. 

Our flag, wherever it waves, speaks the voice 
of God, which is couched in a Latin phrase, 
^'Justicia fiat ruat coelum " — Let justice be 



284 Rejiiiniscences of the Civil War. 

done, though the heavens fall. The two flags 
that I have spoken of, the one looking to the 
supremacy of the Atlantic, while the other con- 
trols the Pacific and its destiny, will give us in 
time to come a power over the isles of the two 
oceans. What generation will be brought to 
see this is locked up in the womb of the future, 
but in the hereafter angels may roll the stone 
from its grave away. 

In response to those who would make com- 
merce the basis of our patriotism, we would 
say in the language of the poet, " Methinks 
that wretch too foul to be forgiven, who basely 
hangs the bright protecting shade of freedom's 
ensign o'er corruption's trade." I wish I were 
an orator, such as Patrick Henry, John Ran- 
dolph or Henry Clay, that I might entertain 
you for an hour with their matchless eloquence 
on a subject so fraught with interest and rich 
with inspiration. 

THE STRANGER PASSING UP THE CHASM THE 
SECOND TIME. 

The stranger who passed up the dark, deep 
and damnable chasm now returns at the sur- 
render of Lee's army to Gen. Ulysses Grant. 
He looks first upon the south side, and he finds 



Reminiscefices of the Civil War. 285 

the soldiers that he had seen at Bull Run, with 
such soft hands, erect figures, gentlemanly 
bearing, fire flashing eyes, and good clothing, 
though badly equipped in military stores and 
arms, exulting in their brilliant victory, but not 
disposed to pursue a fleeing enemy. He now 
looks upon the north side, and he sees an army 
of resolute, hard faced and hard handed men, 
men accustomed to hard labor, much fatigue, 
and never having enjoyed many of the ameni- 
ties of life were necessarily blunt and coarse 
in their manners ; the best equipped army the 
world ever saw, with all the modern improve- 
ments of gun and cannon, with an abundance 
of commissary supplies, with oflicers drilled 
and educated at the old military school, 
founded in the primitive days of the republic, 
which gave to the world great military geniuses, 
such as U. S. Grant, Wm. T. Sherman, Albert 
Sidney Johnson, Robt. E. Lee, and manj^- 
others who had distinguished themselves in 
peace as well as war. 

The stranger now sees this little band of pa- 
triotic gentlemen in rags, their feet bleeding 
and their forms emaciated, marching up to the 
stalwart victors and surrendering their arms 



286 Reminiscences of the Civil War, 

and all they possessed into their hands. Then 
he sees their noble chieftain, advancing to sur- 
render that immortal sword, which had not been 
sheathed for four long and weary years. He 
sees this noble chieftain with erect body ad- 
vancing to surrender this faithful and honor- 
able friend into the hands of what he supposed 
was a man of brave, daring habits, with an un- 
sympathetic heart; but when he gazed ear- 
nestly into those eyes that were looking so 
steadily at this splendid Damascus blade, he 
saw in the eye of his countryman that index of 
a true American patriot, and the victor said, 
almost with tears in his eyes, " Keep jovx 
sword, general ; I would not receive the sword 
of so valiant an American knight as you have 
proven yourself to be." 

Here were two of America's noblest speci- 
mens of her military genius and honorable 
citizens. They walk now side by side, not as 
enemies, but as friends. The American has 
long since learned that old motto, " It is 
human to err, but divine to forgive.-' 

These two heroes have themselves fallen into 
the chasm where all men lie. The tall, the 
wise, the reverend head, the military chieftain 



Refniniscences of the Civil War. 287 

and common soldier must lie as low as the 
pauper in the potter's field. They have ceased 
to cross swords, and have gone to that land to 
join hands where war is not known and peace 
reigns supreme. The camp fires of the little 
army of patriots had gone out, but the fire in 
their eye was as bright as when kindled in 
1861. 

This stranger has again come three thousand 
miles across the Atlantic to find the lines of this 
chasm, but he finds it has been filled with 
thousands of dead soldiers on both sides. 
Their corpses have decayed and returned to 
their mother earth, for "Dust thou art, and 
unto dust shalt thou return." This organic 
dust has so closed the chasm that he cannot 
find a trace of it, however much he may set his 
compass and take the bearings. He finds the 
majestic oak, the broad spreading ash, the 
humble maple, the old elm, and the tall 
cypress, all growing together, making a shade 
wide enough for all Americans to walk under 
in peace and harmony ; and our noble women 
have sown the seeds of the beautiful southland 
flowers with the more sturdy plants of our 



288 Remiidscences of the Civil War. 

northera clime, and they are growing in har- 
mony, in beauty and in loveliness. 

The stranger now turns his face to the orient, 
and in tones of thunder says, "A nation once 
divided, now united in the bonds of love ; the 
peer of any nation on earth." At this time 
this nation is speaking through the cannon's 
mouth before the forts of Cuba's stronghold, 
and while she is sending the solid missiles into 
the ranks of a hostile foe, she is also sending 
the dove with healing upon her wings, with the 
motto, " Quo vadis Domine." 



MALTHUS THEORY. 



'T^HIS great theorist, who was a great traveler 
in 1776 to 1779, in his book, which created 
so much interest in Europe, took the view of 
population compared with means of subsist- 
ence, and came to the conclusion that there 
were too many people in the world in his day, 
and that the most indigent should be killed off 
by slow poison, or easy death — " Euthanasia." 
What would Maltlms think if he were living in 
our day, when the population of the world runs 
up to the enormous figures of 1,479,729,151, 
and still the world is fed and clothed far better 
than they were in his day ? By looking upon 
the map, we find Europe has 94 inhabitants to 
the square mile, or 6 1-4 acres per capita ; Asia, 
13 2-3 acres per capita ; Africa, 45 5-7; Ocean- 
ica, 40 ; North America, 58 2-11 ; South America, 
128. Now with all this array of facts and figures, 
how long would it take the world to starve out ? 
Mai thus had no idea of the extent of country 



290 Malthus' Theory. 

lying west of the Atlantic, nor did he have any 
correct idea of the vast amount of lands unoc- 
cupied in Africa and Oceanica. He only knew 
Europe had 6 1-4 acres per capita. Perhaps 
he had not even made that calculation, for if 
he had he would have found, if that much 
land had been in successful cultivation, it 
would have fed six times the amount of popu- 
lation then in Europe. Now suppose that the 
fertility of the soil was increasing in arithmeti- 
cal proportions while the population was in- 
creasing in geometrical proportions. People 
in his day were crowding into cities and occu- 
pying small districts of land, and Malthus' eye 
could not reach beyond the narrow bounds of 
their limits, and by this view he came to the 
conclusion there were too many people in the 
world, and advised " euthanasia " in the way 
of scientific doctors. 

Malthus' view of the world and its popula- 
tion was very narrow ; so much so, had he 
lived in our day, he would have been laughed 
at for his ignorance, instead of being eulogized 
for his learning. Malthus' idea of a humani- 
tarian was as narrow as his restricted view of 
the population of the world. For did he not 



Malthus^ llieory. 291 

know that nature would balance herself up in 
time, and relieve those distressed and op- 
pressed people, by opening up new fields of 
adventure, and giving them new and green 
pastures, that they might grow fat and multi- 
ply without fear of starvation. Let us take a 
theoretical view, if it can be called theoretical. 
We grant Malthus that Europe at this day 
could scarcely subsist upon the products of her 
own soil ; but when we take into consideration 
that Europe is not the world, and mankind are 
bound together by a community of interests, 
and that distress in one part of the world is 
relieved by another part, however hostile they 
may be towards each other, for the most un- 
civilized nation has never proposed to starve 
their enemies into subjection and keep them 
there by starvation. Malthus did not under- 
stand the broad sympathy of every soul in 
distress ; for when God made man he gave him 
a soul, which was to elevate him above the 
brute creation. This soul was to guide him in 
his relations with other souls. You may call 
it his intellect, and so far as I know you may 
not be far wrong, automatically at any rate. 
Now let us see what the play of this universal 



293 Malthus' Theory. 

sympathy has accomplished in all ages. The 
moment we hear of a disaster of any kind hap- 
pening to the agricultural interest of a country, 
we immediately set about to relieve the situa- 
tion by sending food and clothing to assist 
those in distress. But do we send money to 
reinstate them after their defeats in war? No, 
we do not. 

Let us see whether this sympathy, or the 
common brotherhood of man, is properly car- 
ried out in our advanced civilization and Chris- 
tianity. If it was, no country would place a 
tariff on any of the products of the soil, as 
this is a common heritage. How suicidal and 
cowardly it seems to me for any nation to place 
a tax on the necessaries of life. Looking at 
the map again, we find the United States now 
makes enough produce to support the world, 
with its present increase of population. Then 
take the whole of America, north and south, 
and how long would it feed and clothe the 
world? Perhaps a thousand years or more. 
The people only need scattering, putting in 
fresh pastures. 

This leads us to the conclusion at which we 
wish to arrive : that no tariff should be placed 



Malthus^ Theory. 293 

upon agricultural products in any country, or 
on anything manufactured or brought to a 
country to exchange for the necessaries of life, 
either by sale or barter. 

Taking these statistics as we find them, tlie 
older countries will have to be fed, perhaps in 
the next century. Europe at least, as she has 
fewer acres per capita than any other country 
and a faster increase of population. 

We will here dive a little into political econ- 
omy, and venture a prediction. First, let us 
turn our eyes inward ; we have strained them 
long enough looking three thousand miles. 
Sixteen miles is the distance for the two lines 
of vision to converge and form a focus. Our 
natural eye, by which we can form an idea of 
the shape and size of a natural object, is badly 
strained. You see we have strained our natu- 
ral vision a little too far, for we are looking six 
thousand miles into the Pacific ocean ; haven't 
we strained our political eyes much farther? 
Is there not territory enough in America, and 
people sufficiently intelligent and sufficiently 
ignorant to occupy our time and attention for 
a thousand years, to bring to perfection this 
grand old idea of the brotherhood of man. 



294 Malthus^ Theory. 

What have we done to build up Mexico and 
South America ? Have we constructed rail- 
roads in these republics, and established free 
trade and sailors' rights (the old democratic 
doctrine), and commercial reciprocity, as advo- 
cated by James G. Blaine ? Or have we treated 
them as aliens in a foreign land, to pay tribute 
to the United States for the privilege of being 
called Americans? Have we not placed a ban 
upon their form of government, contrary to the 
Monroe doctrine, which is truly democratic ? 
Or have we not placed a high tariff upon their 
hides and wool, which shoe our feet and clothe 
our backs in winter ? What more have we ex- 
acted of Australia ? Would it not be better for 
us to cultivate friendly relations with them, 
that they might enjoy the privileges of a free 
and enlightened government, and advance upon 
our lines? Will Americans ever learn that the 
United States is not the whole of America, no 
more than Rome was the whole of Italy ? 

We cannot close this article without taking 
a bird's eye view of the financial question. 
Suppose we should say to Mexico and the South 
American republics : " You are Americans, 
and as long as the Monroe doctrine is in force 



Alalthus^ Theory. 295 

you are republicans, and we want to treat you 
as such. You have vast mines of silver and 
some gold. The currency should be the same 
throughout America, and a dollar in silver or 
gold should have the same purchasing power in 
every part of this vast domain. You have need 
of manufactured articles ; we can supply them. 
Do not put a tariff on the very articles you 
need for your comfort and happiness. We will 
put none on yours. We are all Americans. For 
want of a free outlet these manufactured ar- 
ticles have accumulated on our hands to such 
an extent that prices are so low we must put a 
tariff on what you produce to support the su- 
perannuated factories, for they are now 
desuetude. They require moving to new 
pastures, lest they die with the rot. Now if we 
can remove these factories to your territory and 
supply your people with manufactured goods, 
and thereby increase your wealth and build up 
your people and give you free trade, would it 
not be better for both? We would then have 
republics of which the world would be proud, 
for it would be beautiful to see how well and 
how peaceable Americans can live. If we can 
open up a free trade with you and take your 



296 Malthus'' Theory. 

money, whose value and standard we shall fix, 
and at this standard value it shall be received, 
national and social, so there shall be one cur- 
rency for all Americans ; we then can have a 
congress of republics who shall adopt our con- 
stitution and make it the basis of all republics, 
and treat them as brothers to the manor born." 

Don't you think in this unsettled state of 
affairs, with our free government trembling in 
its boots, they would unite in good faith with 
us, and form an alliance with us, offensive and 
defensive, guarding the Pacific on the west and 
the Atlantic on the east, keeping a small stand- 
ing army, relying on our citizen soldiery, who 
have the lire of patriotism burning in every 
American breast, and saying to the world, 
*' Hands off! and we will let you alone; we 
have enough at home to attend to without look- 
ing after your affairs." 

As the war has been taken from our own 
doors and transferred to the doors of Spain, we 
may or we may not have cause to rejoice. The 
ultimatum laid down by our president was 
that we would go to war with Spain if she did 
not remove her forces from Cuba and acknowl- 
edge the independence of that country. This 



Malthus' Theory. 297 

was issued in the form of a proclamation. Did 
the Spanish government acknowledge the 
authority of the president to free her people by 
a half dozen words of English, written on a 
piece of parchment? Spain was a government 
before America was discovered, and gave the 
man and the means to make the discovery that 
other nations of greater wealth had refused. 
Though our country has been baptized Amer- 
ica, it ought to have been called Columbia, and 
it is so called to this day by Americans who 
are disposed to give honor to whom honor is 
due. We well recollect the words in our old 
" Columbian Orator," that we selected for our 
school boy speech. The words ran thus : 

" Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise, 
']'he queen of the earth, and the child of the skies." 

What strange things happen in human 
events ! But this is a digression from what we 
expected to say. What of the present war, its 
causes and its effects? The cause did not 
originate in our own country ; it was the brutal- 
ity that Spain was exercising over a compara- 
tively weak and ignorant people. The priests 
had become so exacting and oppressive that 
human nature conld stand ic no longer. Spain, 



298 Malthus' Theory. 

like an old water craft, had become unsanitary 
in all her surroundings, corrupt in her politics, 
and vicious in her religion. The old rats were 
starving out, and the young rats were fattening 
on the filthy debris of the old hulk. The old 
rats who were being slaughtered by the young, 
concluded to leave the old hulk and swim to 
Cuba, where they could multiply and replenish 
themselves before the priests could find them. 
The people of no country will be long pa- 
triotic where the government starves 
the masses. This is precisely the condition of 
Spain. Therefore we should deal with her as 
leniently as is consistent with a free, liberal, 
Christian government, and not take from her 
the small territory she now owns and starve 
her people who are now making a comfortable 
living. Subdue the priests, and that means 
snbdue the government, and raise the masses 
to a higher plane of civilization. Let them 
keep their religion, but annul the power 
of the priests. When we speak of giv- 
ing them advanced civilization, we do not in- 
clude that higher civilization which is being 
taught in the old European countries, for that 
is as corrupt as hades. The question now 



Malthus' Theory. 299 

arises, where are we drifting, and in what har- 
bor will our ships finally anchor? Now let the 
Spaniards accept our proposition and become 
a free people, stop prosecuting protestants, 
stop victimizing her own people, and the war 
will end. 

The writer of this is neither a statesman, a 
politician, a financier or a plutocrat ; simply a 
democrat after the old school of Monroe and 
Jefferson. It is the musing of an old man, who 
is looking backward as well as forward in his 
dreams. We will close by quoting some lines 
from a poet whose name we have forgotten. 
This will apply to all Americans: "Methinks 
that wretch too foul to be forgiven, who basely 
hangs the bright, protecting shade of freedom's 
ensign o'er corruptions trade." " Let the ex- 
tortioner catch all that he hath, and let the 
stranger spoil his labor." 

Now I have shown Malthus that he could 
not see three hundred years ahead of his time, 
and that he made no calculation of the devel- 
opment of this small planet of ours. I have 
also shown him that America could not only 
clothe and feed the world, but that it could fur- 
nish her all the gold and silver to carry on the 



300 Malthus' Theory. 

commerce of the world and the rest of man- 
kind. The new people (the rest of mankind) 
were never discovered by any one save old 
Zack Taylor, who said we were at peace with 
them. 

" The heaven, even the heavens are the 
Lord's, but the earth hath He given to the chil- 
dren of men." London might be swallowed 
up by the ocean, Paris drop into the sea, New 
York shaken down by an earthquake, Chicago 
burned to ashes, and St. Louis blown away by 
a cyclone, and yet the world at large would 
not starve. There would be a survival of the 
fittest, and they are the agriculturalists, who 
get their living by the sweat of their brow. 
No, the world will never be brought to the con- 
dition the expert French chemist thinks it will 
be, when bread will be made out of trees by 
his chemical process. Man will always make 
his bread by the cultivation of the soil, with 
the labor of his hands, assisted by modern 
machinery. 

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